Only a fraction of UK job ads offer flexibility

Less than nine per cent of well-paid job adverts (those offering a full-time salary of £20,000) offer flexible working, new research has found.

The findings, which are published as part of the Hire Me My Way campaign to encourage employers to take on more part-time and flexible workers, analysed over 5 million job adverts. They found that little progress – 8.7%, up from 6.2% last year - had been made on offering flexible working options to jobseekers over the past year.

Consultancy and jobs site Timewise is leading the campaign. It is hoped that it will tackle the ongoing skills shortage and improve productivity by placing more applicants in roles that better suit their skills.

Timewise’s co-CEO, Emma Stewart, says: “The lack of flexible hiring in the UK affects everyone searching for such jobs. Transform hiring, and you have the potential to bring tangible change to millions of families unable to raise their earnings or progress their careers, because they are trapped by their need for flexibility.”