Q1 2016: UK Job Market Flourishes, Despite Economic Woes

All eyes of late have been firmly focused on the UK’s economy as it faces the possibility of a ‘Brexit’, an uncertain steel industry, industry-wide skills shortages and a weakened currency. So it may come as a surprise that the latest news from CV-Library shows that the UK labour market experienced a 15.1% growth in Q1 2016 when compared with Q1 2015.

Further confirming the strength of the UK’s job market, job growth can be seen in a number of key sectors and regions across the country; a promising sign which also suggests that growth is not limited to any one specific industry or city. The sectors and cities which experienced the strongest job growth in Q1 were:

1. Arts and Graphic Design – 43.1%
2. Social Care – 36.9%
3. Education – 35.3%
4. Legal – 33.6%
5. Public Sector – 33%
6. Catering – 26.9%
7. Customer Services – 23.2%
8. Distribution – 23.1%
9. Marketing – 21%
10. Construction – 20.9%

While the cities that experienced the strongest job growth included:

1. Liverpool – 34.8%
2. Edinburgh – 25.4%
3. Cardiff – 22.9%
4. London – 16.6%
5. Hull – 16.5%
6. Manchester – 16.1%
7. Leeds – 15.6%
8. Birmingham – 11.8%
9. Southampton – 11.2%
10. Bristol – 9.1%

Better still, CV-Library also reported a healthy increase in job applications; application rates have increased by 16.4% year-on-year, meaning each vacancy now receives over 19 applications. This news will likely come as a relief to the nation’s employers, who have recently found themselves in the throes of a talent shortage, left with a real lack of skilled candidates available to fill their roles; this latest data suggests that businesses will now have more candidates to choose from during the recruitment process.

The news that the UK labour market is remaining strong during such a shaky economic climate will be warmly received by recruiters and HR professionals across the country; the recruitment industry is often the first to feel the effects of an economic fallout. Though employers are currently grappling with unanswered questions about how a Brexit will affect the labour market, and how the government plans to support the nation’s struggling sectors, this steady job growth suggests that UK businesses are in a strong position, continuing to create jobs for the country’s economy.

In addition, Q1 2016 revealed an impressive 3.9% growth in advertised salaries, when compared with the same time period in 2015. This now means that the average wage has jumped to £32,938, from £31,710, further confirming the strong position of UK businesses in today’s economy, despite its ongoing woes.