Unless you’re running a one-man-band then the success of your enterprise relies on your ability to recruit the right people. However, attracting talent to your venture could be easier said than done, as the number of applications to job vacancies has fallen in the second quarter of this year, according to a new report from CV-Library, the jobs site.
According to the data from the independent job board, the three months leading up to June saw application rates across the UK fall by 3.4% when comparing year-on-year data and by 14.9% compared to the first quarter of 2017. That being said, there were still some sectors – like hospitality, property services and construction – that saw a slight jump in job seekers looking to fill vacancies.
This fall in applications came as the number of available jobs increased across the country by 14.9%. The industries that saw the biggest rise were the manufacturing, charity and automotive sectors, which respectively saw a 24%, a 21% and a 20.4% jump in openings. There were also a significant number of listings posted in Scotland, with Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee seeing vacancies increase by 26.4%, 17.8% and 16.6% respectively.
But job seekers aren’t just spoiled for choice when it comes to the number of opportunities available: advertised salaries also grew as businesses upped their efforts to attract talent. The biggest jump was seen in the hospitality sector, where advertised salaries grew by 7.7% in the last quarter. Agriculture, education and construction were among the other sectors that saw offered payments jump 6.2%, 6.1% and 4.6% respectively during the same period.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, noted that it’s “great to see that businesses across the UK are continuing to invest in growing their workforce” despite the uncertainties surrounding last month’s snap election and the Brexit negotiations. “However, it’s clear that candidates are not reciprocating this confidence with application rates dropping across the UK,” he said. “As the dust settles on the recent election we hope to see candidate appetite pick back up – especially given that there are some great opportunities out there in many of the UK’s top industries.”
While it’s fantastic to hear that UK businesses are still feeling confident enough to hire more people, it’s worrying that candidates don’t seem to share this optimism.
