- Jobs in manufacturing sector up by 24% year-on-year
- Construction & Property, Retail and Engineering all up
- Growth in job vacancies shown throughout the UK
Manufacturing jobs have grown by nearly a quarter in the last year, according to our latest research. And it’s not the only industry on the rise – with the job market continuing to show signs of growth post-Brexit.
Going against the (whole)grain
The sector is riding a wave of confidence after news that Weetabix is to invest £30million in its Northamptonshire sites and manufacturers continue to reap the benefits of the falling Pound.
The 24.1% increase from January last year was among the most significant sector rises, and helped jobs advertised on reed.co.uk as a whole achieve a 5.5% lift in 2017.
Job security
Roles in Safety and Security have also seen significant gains over the last 12 months, increasing by almost exactly the same amount.
Other sectors experiencing significant year on year rises include Construction & Property (+18.8%), Retail (+17.7%) and Engineering (+10.6%).
Every region of the UK has continued to see year-on-year growth in job vacancies, giving jobseekers across the country an optimistic outlook on opportunities for the year ahead.
James Reed, chairman of reed.co.uk comments:
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in world politics at the moment, but our data shows that in spite of everything the UK jobs market remains buoyant.
“Manufacturing is key to prosperity and as such is a vital part of any economy – and that is why these figures are so encouraging.
“This is not a one-off either. The sector has been going in the right direction for some months now which is reassuring news.
“With year-on-year rises in job vacancies across every region, we can approach the triggering of Article 50 with the knowledge employment remains robust across the entire country.”
The Apprenticeship problem
The good news comes as predictions for future economic growth have again been revised upwards by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research think tank.
However, year-on-year falls on jobs in the Apprenticeships and Training sectors remain a cause for concern.
But with the upcoming apprenticeship levy coming into force from April 6th, the sector could still be on for a resurgence in the rest of 2017.
BY SECTOR
YoY Growth
- Purchasing +37.6%
- Security & Safety +25.1%
- Manufacturing +24.1%
- Transport & Logistics +20.8%
- Graduate Training & Internships +19.4%
YoY Decline
- Training -54.3%
- Social Care -26.5%
- Estate Agency -20.1%
- Apprenticeships -14.0%
- Energy -12.5%
By Region
YoY Growth
- Northern Ireland +76.7%
- Wales +20.1%
- North East England +8.5%
- West Midlands (Region) +8.4%
- South West England +7.6%
Find out more about the job market with the Reed Job Index.
Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs now
