Last week, there were 2.08 million active job adverts in the UK, a new record high for 2022.
There were also 269,000 new job postings last week – the second highest figure on record and a 47% increase on the previous month – with almost all occupations recording notable increases in job advertisements.
The previous record was in July, when there were 1.85m adverts.
According to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s latest Labour Market Tracker, the onset of the cost of living crisis is yet to impact recruitment advertising, with the number of active job advertisements remaining between 1.6m and 2m since early June.
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All regions in the UK saw substantial growth in job postings in the week of 22-28 August, with four of the top 10 hiring hotspots in West Midlands. The top three local areas with the highest increase in job advertisements was Worcestershire (+24.1%), followed by Sandwell (+23.3%), and Telford and Wrekin (+22.3%).
Across the UK, labour and skills shortages mean jobs are taking longer to fill – meaning that postings stay active for longer, said the REC. Neil Carberry, the confederation’s chief executive, said: “A surge in new postings in late August is the result of recruitment restarting as people return from holidays, combined with preparation for the Christmas peak in manufacturing and logistics. It is still a good time to be looking for a job – the number of active job vacancies reflects a shortage of candidates for many key roles.”
He advised the incoming Prime Minister and their Cabinet to prioritise the economy. “That means addressing shortages by working with business to develop a workforce strategy that can support growth,” he said. “There are some quick wins that could help – reforming the apprenticeship levy to enable more people to train, focusing on more effective support into work for those who are currently inactive, and increased numbers and longer work visas for key sectors.”
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Carberry added that, in the coming months, “effectively protecting small businesses from enormous increases in the uncapped price of energy is also vital.”
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