'Reduced demand' | HR roles plummet year-on-year by almost 40%

Professional vacancies for HR specialists dropped by 38.1% year-on-year in 2020. However, demand for interims remained strong, as employers relied on the contingent workforce.

This is according to new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) - the trade association for the recruitment sector. 

The data, provided by business intelligence specialist Vacancysoft, revealed that the year-on-year reduction in HR jobs was largely attributed to the UK’s first lockdown, which forced hiring levels down by 80.1% in April 2020 compared to the same month a year earlier.

In comparison, HR jobs started to recover as the year progressed and by Q4 2020, vacancies were 12% higher compared to the same period in 2019.