Downturn | UK job vacancies down 33% in 2020

Business in 2020 was defined largely by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures taken by the UK Government to prevent cases from increasing throughout the year.

Whilst this had a massive impact on financial volatility and working habits, one of the most drastic impacts of the pandemic was its effect on professional hiring.

According to new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), overall hiring across England and Wales decreased by a third over the course of 2020.

Commenting on the unexpected impacts of both COVID-19 and Brexit, APSCo CEO Ann Swain noted: “As we entered 2020, many economic experts had last year firmly positioned as the year which would be dominated by Brexit. No one could have predicted that as the year drew to a close, we were not only still battling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but were also wondering right until the 11th hour whether a Brexit deal would be struck.”