UK vacancies increase for the first time in a month

Latest data has revealed that the number of permanent vacancies in the week ending 26th April increased by 28% week-on-week. This marks the first time that demand for talent has risen in a month, as businesses begin to see a ‘glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel’. That’s according to the latest data from the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology.

Education and training sector leads vacancy growth

According to Broadbean Technology’s data, while healthcare remains the most active in terms of on-going live roles, education and training saw the biggest week-on-week growth. Job posts in this specialism equated to 13% of all new roles added. In comparison, only 2% of new vacancies added for the same week were healthcare jobs.

This uptick in demand for education professionals could be indicative of educational establishments replacing critical staff on sick leave to ensure facilities remain open for children of key workers. It is also in keeping with recent reports that reveal that while the vast majority of schools are operating at reduced capacity, the ‘recruitment process is still very much happening’ as planning for September continues.

Focusing specifically on the training arena, Broadbean Technology’s data suggests that employers are increasingly investing in staff development – particularly for those who have been furloughed. And with the Department for Education launching a collection of online courses last week, additional talent in this area will likely remain in demand over the coming weeks.

Vacancies in London outperform all other regions

Of the major cities across the UK, London saw the greatest increase in vacancies, with the number of jobs post up by 27% week-on-week. This is a stark comparison to the likes of Birmingham and Manchester which saw an uptick of 8% and 2% respectively.

Alex Fourlis, Managing Director at Broadbean Technology, commented on the results:

“We’ve been closely monitoring vacancy levels throughout the pandemic and have seen the numbers rapidly declining over the last few weeks. In March, the only upward trend was the number of job roles related to COVID-19, however our latest data indicates a glimmer of hope for the nation’s employers and jobseekers.

“So, while there’s no disputing that the employment market is struggling at the moment, our data suggests it’s not all doom and gloom. While we might have expected pockets of resilience from sectors such a healthcare, the uptick in the education and training arena is reassuring. The data over the next few weeks will no doubt help assess whether more sectors begin to show signs of recovery as we approach the easing of lockdown”.