Reports say job openings are declining at fastest rate for three years and jobless total could soon return to level last seen in 90s

Britain faces the prospect of returning to the days of having 3 million unemployed after a trio of gloomy economic surveys showed the jobs market in its most depressed state for three years and business confidence collapsing.

The number of new permanent and temporary roles declined at the fastest rate since July 2009, the latest survey of recruitment consultants by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs shows.

The sudden slump has led the accountants to predict a return to levels of unemployment last seen in the early 1990s.

KPMG partner Bernard Brown said: "The latest recruitment data comes as a sobering reminder that we're far away from a confident economic situation.

"Indeed, with both permanent and temporary appointments declining at the sharpest rate in nearly three years and overall demand for staff showing the weakest growth since the start of 2012, the outlook would appear bleak … A real worry for me is the acceleration in the pace of decline, which suggests this isn't a mere blip.

"If this trend were to continue, there's a very real chance we could hit a 3 million unemployed figure in the UK in the not too distant future."

Last month's jobless total was 2.61 million, an unemployment rate of 8.2%.

The jobs data emerges as the latest monthly poll of polls conducted by accounting group BDO shows UK business confidence at its weakest point this year, while a survey of finance directors by accountants Deloitte reveals the sharpest decline in corporate confidence since the firm began polling in 2007.

BDO's Optimism Index – which predicts business performance two quarters ahead – has hit a six-month low, falling for the fourth consecutive month from 95.5 in May to 93.5 in June.

It is the first time since January it has stood below the 95.0 mark that indicates growth.

BDO's Peter Hemington said: "The figures point to a tough economic climate for the remainder of the year, possibly beyond. Since half our export goods go to the eurozone, it's not surprising that turbulence there is denting longer-term growth prospects here."

Meanwhile, the Deloitte report, which gauged the views of 137 chief financial officers (CFOs) and finance directors, said that worries about recession and a breakup of the euro are hurting confidence. Ian Stewart, Deloitte's chief economist, said: "Uncertainty has had a corrosive effect on risk appetite and 80% of CFOs say this is not a good time to take risk on to their balance sheets".

The gloomy surveys emerge after business secretary Vince Cable said on Sunday the economic recovery is being throttled by "anti-business" banks. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Banks, because of their existing culture, which is frankly anti-business … are actually throttling the recovery of British industry. While [the Libor] debate was going on last week, I was appalled as I was going around firms in the north of England – super companies which have big export potential, got orders – and they just can't get a loan from the bank to finance their exports and expansion."