Reed.co.uk’s monthly Job Market Review gives recruiters and businesses fresh insights into what happened in the jobs market in the last month – including candidate insights and regional and sector performance.
August 2021 Snapshot
- Record number of vacancies posted on Reed.co.uk continues to rise at almost 325,000
- Hospitality vacancies in the South-East have boomed alongside Transport & Logistics in the area
- Health & Social Care vacancies have the second-highest number of postings, but applications are down again by nearly two thirds
- Salaries have stayed steady with a slight increase from July 2021
- Labour market confident despite September 1st furlough finish
Jobs posted
The South East of England vacancy boom in Hospitality & Catering
As Reed.co.uk continues a run of record-breaking vacancy numbers, August saw an increase of 6,330 jobs posted compared to July. Trends across the sector have largely stayed true to July’s activities.
Hospitality jobs have naturally increased in line with the relaxation of restrictions in time for the summer season, with coastal areas enjoying a particularly buoyant market compared to August last year, where less than 5,000 vacancies were available across the UK. Now, with over 23,000 vacancies posted this month, Hospitality looks to be relishing in its recovery. But, what stands out here is that 10,662 of those roles posted in August are in the South-East, up over 7,500 last month. So, what is happening?
Holidays, staycations and the summer holidays will have played a part, as was undoubtedly apparent for coastal areas in June and July, as restrictions lifted and schools broke up. But with such an extensive rise in postings, it suggests there is more at play here. Transport & Logistics are also up by nearly 3,000 in the South-East and up 15,500 overall from July, suggesting a potential correlation between the two sectors.
The region is home to Brighton & Hove, Eastbourne, and beautiful countryside settings perfect for holidays. But also, major transport links – Gatwick, Heathrow and Southampton airports, Dover and Folkestone shipping and ferry ports, and direct access to the M25, M40, M4 and M1. Vital, valuable transport links that serve the holiday market and crucially logistics, procurement and supply chains, and more. The rise in Hospitality roles could suggest a supporting role in the continued increase in Transport and Logistics roles as the sectors begin to look ahead to the winter and Christmas and the services needed in the region.
Education is the next sector that saw a significant difference, yet expected, (-29%) with jobs in schools and educational settings just over 23,500 in July vs 15,700 in August as the school term loomed and regular service set to resume for the start of the academic year.
Candidate registrations
Vacations and staycations haven’t kept candidates away
Far from it, candidates have continued to register throughout August with consistency. While registrations are a touch down on last month by just over 5000, the figures show a continuous stream of registrations, with Monday still the most popular day of the week to sign up. With the furlough scheme coming to an end on September 1st, it is perhaps surprising that there hasn’t been a significant spike in registrations. But, this is also promising – suggesting more employees are returning to their jobs rather than having to scramble to registrations and roles as the deadline hits*.
Applications
Hospitality applications drop after a summer of love
Applications are down across the board, continuing the trend of the last few months. Most topically in Hospitality (-12%) after an influx of opportunities were advertised and snapped up over June and July.
Transport & Logistics applications dropped (-8%) from (+4%) in July, no doubt hindered by the continuing fallout from Brexit causing a shortage of drivers and the reported poor working conditions experienced by workers**.
While jobs posted are slightly up from July at +2%, the significant drop in sector applications demonstrates that businesses continue to compete in a candidate-driven market. Candidates are likely to be more selective in finding their new role following the experiences of the last 18 months, using what they’ve learned from different ways of working and increased family time to guide them towards employers that genuinely focus on the employee. The message is clear and still the same – companies have to level up their offering and candidate attraction to stand out – as is apparent in Transport and Logistics.
Health & Social Care is still struggling to attract staff
Health and Social Care vacancy numbers are the second-highest after Transport & Logistics, but applications continue to be down at (-11%) another (-2%) down from last month. The competition per role is diminishing month-on-month, proving the demand for Health & Social Care roles is scant at best.
It isn’t unfair to suggest that the sector may not have the most attractive employment proposition as presented last month. With no apparent movement on stagnant salaries, long hours, and high-pressure environments, employees can be forgiven for thinking of a career change or not entering into the sector at all. As the country heads towards the colder months and with the press discussing cuts in services and financial uncertainty to the tune of £10bn, it is perhaps not so surprising that Health & Social Care continues to suffer from a lack of quality staff wanting to stay or join the sector ***.
Looking ahead: Furlough is finishing – now businesses can lead the charge to normality
Opportunities for candidates are continuing to increase, which is fantastic for the growth of the economy and very positive for the labour market across the board. And it should be said, normality by way of all its newest forms, be that flexi-time, dynamic working, remote hires, hot-desking, even, a four day week. Defining and refining normality, away from Covid-19 restrictions, whatever that looks like for businesses, should now take precedence, especially for the last companies to bring back furloughed employees. Fine-tuning offerings and listening to the people who work for them will help attract new staff and, crucially, retain their quality employees.
The labour market is in a much stronger position than anyone had anticipated, with research showing that the furlough scheme had a hugely positive impact on achieving this despite the dire conditions of the pandemic. With figures on planned redundancies down in July and August, the hope is that the trend will continue, with numbers of forecasted jobs lost being slashed as data emerges****.
* https://www.reed.co.uk/recruiter-advice/life-after-furlough-managing-the-return-to-work/
** https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58394903
*** https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58394903
**** https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57826625
