Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessJob creation and losses

Job opportunities fall in December, despite year-on-year increase

by John Eccleston 4 Jan 2011
by John Eccleston 4 Jan 2011

Job opportunities across the UK fell in December 2010, according to one of the country’s largest recruitment businesses.

The Reed Job Index, compiled using job data from Reed.co.uk, recorded a month-on-month reduction in vacancies posted in December, although the figures confirmed a year-on-year rise of 4% compared with December 2009 when the index began, from 92,423 vacancies to 96,504.

According to Reed, the year-on-year increase is due to increased demand from the private sector, but a reversal in this private sector activity is responsible for the December fall.

Reed’s figures also find that the number of new public sector jobs continued to fall during 2010, to less than half the level of one year ago.

These figures come days after the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) warned that 2011 will be a worse year for jobs than 2010, with the institute’s central economic forecast predicting that 200,000 people will lose their jobs in the coming year. The CIPD forecasts that these losses will consist of 120,000 in the public sector and 80,000 in the private sector.

In addition, the CIPD suggests that average earnings will increase at a below-inflation rate of 2% in 2011.

Martin Warnes, managing director of Reed.co.uk, offered a slightly more optimistic outlook, saying: “There are grounds for cautious optimism about new job prospects in 2011. Rising private sector demand has been enough to create year-on-year growth in spite of steep falls in new public sector jobs. Job sectors as different as consultancy, marketing, banking and engineering have experienced accelerating demand. Salaries have stabilized and in key areas increased, threatening the reappearance of skills shortages.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Clearly there are economic challenges ahead. Yet the jobs economy has undoubtedly avoided a much-predicted double-dip in 2010 and the private sector continues to lead a steady recovery in new job demand.”

Read XpertHR’s economic commentary for January 2011, outlining what’s in store for 2011 – featuring comment from the CIPD’s John Philpott and other contributors.

John Eccleston

previous post
Free Guide to Display Screen Equipment regulations
next post
Two-thirds of small firms do not offer pension schemes

You may also like

Doctors vote for return to strike action

8 Jul 2025

‘Frustrating’ that NHS Plan has overlooked OH, warns...

8 Jul 2025

Employment Rights Bill set to ban employer NDAs

8 Jul 2025

Young people unprepared for world of work, says...

8 Jul 2025

Empower and engage for the future: A revolution...

7 Jul 2025

Bereavement leave to extend to miscarriages before 24...

7 Jul 2025

One in seven ‘revenge quit’ in latest employee...

7 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

MPs demand Home Office tightens visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+