Suzanne Elsdon
Aug 03, 2017
UK vacancies and applications on the up
Blog
In July, the UK as a whole experienced a 1.1% increase in candidate applications, as well as a jump in the number of advertised vacancies, according to the latest figures from CV Library. There was an 8.3% rise in job vacancies during the period of last month compared to the same period in 2016.
This trend has been found in some of the UK’s key sectors, with significant month-on-month growth in both vacancies and applications which is reflective of how lucrative the job market is currently. The industries with the largest increases in vacancies and applications were education (10.5%), retail (6.9%) and engineering (3.3%). Additionally, key locations across the nation witnessed some of the biggest increases in applications, including cities such as Bristol (6.5%), Guildford (6.3%), Southampton (5.9%), Brighton (4.4%), Dundee (3.3%), Leeds (2.7%) and London (2.4%). The rise in applications is a good sign that job seekers are regaining confidence in making the move into a new role, especially during the summer months which are traditionally a slower time for recruitment. It would seem that businesses also remain confident in their hiring efforts, with average advertised salaries still on the up; a potential key driver of the rise in applications. For employers going forward into the second half of the year, it’s clear that salary and package are essential motivators for UK candidates and this should be kept in mind when setting hiring budgets. Although job application numbers are improving, it’s still vital for companies to be offering the best possible packages in order to compete for the best talent.
