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The results of the Chartered Institute of Personnel's (CIPD) staff recruitment index - which covers more than 700 employers - showed a significant imbalance between those intending to recruit staff and those planning to axe jobs, reports the BBC.
Russell Griggs of the Confederation of British Industry said: "After more than a year of steady growth on the jobs front, we are now starting to see small and medium-sized enterprises reducing their headcount in response to weakening demand in the face of global economic slowdown."
Last month, figures found that the number of people out of work in the UK has risen by 164,000 in the three months to August - the largest increase for 17 years, reports the Press Association.
Recently, the CIPD predicted UK unemployment would rise over the next 12 months as a result of widespread redundancies.
