In the run up to Christmas FCR (F1rst Commercial Recruitment) wanted to give you an early present. So here it is… our summary of November’s ‘Report on Jobs’ by the UK Labour Market.
As always, we think it’s important to share the most recent findings with you, whether you’re a candidate or an employer, so that you have a full understanding of the current job market which will help you to make informed decisions.
Here’s are the main things that we think are worth knowing:
Permanent placements and temp billings continue to rise
- During the month of November, the growth in permanent placements reached a three-month peak
- The strongest increase in permanent placements was in the in the Midlands, followed by Scotland
- Temporary/contract billings also increased steadily during November
- After a six-month low during October, the rate of growth for temp billings picked up considerably and was one of the sharpest seen in two years
Availability of candidates continues to decline sharply
- The availability of candidates for permanent and temporary/contract roles continued to decline in November
- Although being the least noticeable since April, the rate of still sharper than the series average
- The South of England recorded the steepest decline in permanent labour supply, followed by the Midlands, whereas the steepest decline in temp labour supply was recorded in London
The main permanent staff skills that are in short supply are as follows:
Accounting/Financial: Accountants, Audit, Estimators, Finance, FP & A, Insurance, Paraplanners, Payroll, Risk, Tax, Treasury
Blue Collar: Blue Collar, Drivers, HGV Drivers, LGV Drivers, Production & Distribution, Unskilled /Skilled Workers, Warehouse, Welders
Construction: Construction, Conveyancing, Quantity Surveyors
Engineering: Aerospace, CNC, Design Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Engineers, Maintenance Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Project Control Engineers, Simulation Engineers, Technicians
Executive/Professional: Advertising, Business Analysts, Business Development, Compliance, HR, Legal, M & A, Managers, Marketing, Physicists, Project Managers, PR, Scientists
Hotel/Catering: Chefs, Hotel Staff, Kitchen Assistants
IT/Computing: Analytics, Architects, AutoCAD, Automation Testers, Big Data, CAD, C#, Cyber Security, Cloud, DevOps, Digital, Gaming, GDPR, IT, Java, .NET, Oracle Fusion, Software Developers, Web Developers
Nursing/Medical/Care: Care Managers, Genomics, Medical, Nurses, Nursery, Optometrists, Support Workers, Ultrasound Staff
Secretarial/Clerical: Admin, PAs, Support Staff
Other: Buyers, Call Centre, Customer Service, Debt Recovery, Fundraisers, European Language Speakers, Sales, Technical Sales, Telesales, Waste & Environment Staff
The main temporary staff skills that are in short supply are as follows:
Accounting/Financial: Accountants, Audit, Estimators, Finance, Payroll, Risk, Treasury
Blue Collar: Blue Collar, Drivers, Electricians, Forklift Drivers, Drivers, Electricians, HGV Drivers, Quality Control, LGV Drivers, Manufacturing, Skilled/Unskilled Workers, Vehicle Technicians, Warehouse Workers, Welders
Construction: Construction, Quantity Surveyors
Engineering: CNC, Electrical Engineers, Engineers, Project Engineers
Executive/Professional: Compliance, Legal, Marketing, Scientists, Solicitors
Hotel/Catering: Bar Staff, Chefs, Hospitality
IT/Computing: Automation Testers, Big Data, CAD, Cloud, Cyber Security, Developers, Digital, GDPR, Java, Oracle Fusion, Software Developers, UI/UX
Nursing/Medical/Care: Care Staff, Nurses, NHS Admin Staff, Nursery Staff, Molecular Biologists, Sonographers, Support Workers
Secretarial/Clerical: Admin, Receptionists. Other: B2B Sales, Customer Service, Languages, Logistics, Sales
Demand for staff remains strong
- Demand for staff continued to rise steadily halfway through the final quarter of the year
- The number of job vacancies increased sharply for both permanent and temporary roles. However, while growth of demand softened for permanent staff, it strengthened for temporary staff
- Demand for staff stayed strongest across the private sector than the public sector
Pay pressure continues
- Average starting salaries for permanent positions continued to rise in November, stretching the current sequence of growth to over 5 and a half years
- Although dipping to a 4-month low, the rate of pay inflation for permanent placements remained sharp
- The rate of pay for temporary placements also increased in November with the rate of inflation increasing slightly from October’s seven-month low
Unemployment
- The latest labour market data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that both the unemployment rate and claimant count for the UK are historically low
- In the 3 months running up to September, the unemployment rate stood at just 4.3% – the join-lowest level since 1975
Although November’s report on the UK job market is the penultimate report for 2017, we will have to wait until January to receive it, which means that this is our last post before the New Year! With that in mind, the whole team at FCR would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018.
