Green shoots for recruitment as job adverts top 1 million

Weekly job adverts have topped 1 million for the first time since lockdown measures were eased in early July.

Latest figures from the Recruitment & Employment Federation (REC) show the total number of active job ads was £1.05 million in the week of 6-12 July, up from 990,000 in the last week of June. There were also 106,000 new job adverts posted in the week of 6-12 July, 14,000 more than the week of 22-28th June. 

REC Job Recovery Tracker – latest findings

Key growth sectors

An increase in demand for IT Professionals across the UK, reflects the boost in digital commerce during the height of the pandemic.

Postings for web designers and developers increased by 15.5%, and there was a rise of 6.6% for programmers and software developers. Other job roles which saw growth in job postings included graphic designers (+11.3%), sales administrators (+9.9%), LGV drivers (+9.7%) and carpenters and joiners (+8.5%). There was also a 9.4% increase in demand for clothing designers, potentially in response to non-essential shops reopening and the increase in online shopping during lockdown.

Negative growth sectors

At the other end of the scale, demand for both primary and secondary school teachers continued to decrease (by 4.3% and 4.6% respectively), as well as dentists (-7.1%) and fitness instructors (-8.8%).

Job rise most evident in NW region

Although growth was seen across the whole country, it was most pronounced in the north-west of England. Between 22-28 June and 6-12 July, the number of active job postings in the region increased by over 17,000 to 125,000. In particular, Mid Lancashire has continued to see a surge in job adverts, with a rise of 37.4% in early July.

Business confidence rising…but we are not out of the woods

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, welcomed the figures as positive, while remaining pragmatic about the timeline for recovery. He said:

“Business confidence has slowly been rising as lockdown measures have eased – though the recovery has a long way to go. This is reflected in these job postings figures. While many businesses are facing tough decisions on staffing this week, there are other firms where hiring is still happening, and their numbers are growing. It is encouraging that we are seeing indications of growth for roles like IT professionals and designers, which will be critical for many firms as they adapt to meet the challenges of a changed market.

“However, we are not out of the woods. The economy will not return to normal levels for some time. Firms are looking to government for further guidance on how they can begin to open up more fully, including returning to offices – as long as it’s safe to do so. This would deliver a further boost in confidence and get Britain’s world-leading services industries going.”

Make Liquid Friday your new normal

Britain’s recruiters will play a key role in getting the UK back to work. At Liquid Friday we are very much a “people business”.

We have been supporting agencies and their contractors for over 14 years and we genuinely care about the lives and jobs of the people we deal with every day. Now more than ever, as things get back to normal, we’re here to help you get the most out of your relationship with us.