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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Hiring plans come to a halt, despite more candidates applying for jobs

According to the latest job market report from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, employers appear cautious about their hiring plans right now, with the amount of jobs on offer dropping by 3% year on year.

The findings, which analysed job market data from June 2019 with the same period in 2018, found that despite this, more professionals are looking for work and applications for new roles jumped up by 15% last month. In addition, certain cities saw above average hikes in applications, including:

  • Bristol – applications up by 27.2%
  • Brighton – applications up by 22.1%
  • Edinburgh – applications up by 20%
  • Manchester – applications up by 19.7%
  • London – applications up by 19.6%

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “The fact that there are more active job hunters in the market makes now a great time for employers to ramp up their hiring efforts. However, it seems that businesses are still hesitant to do so; though this isn’t unusual during the summer months.

At the same time, we know that there’s a great amount of uncertainty around our future in the EU; especially with the Tory leadership race ongoing. But our data suggests that employers should use this time to invest in their recruitment plans and improve their chances of making a great hire.”

Alongside the above, average pay for new jobs jumped up by 5.8% last month. In addition to this, key cities saw even higher increases, including: London (16.1%), Hull (15.8%), Edinburgh (12.8%), Portsmouth (10.7%) and Nottingham (9.5%).

Biggins continues: “It’s no secret that pushing up your pay packets is likely to attract more applicants to your jobs. But if you aren’t able to do this – don't worry. There are plenty of other ways to make your company stand out.

For example, flexible working is one of the most sought-after perks amongst candidates, so if you offer it, shout about it! Alongside this, consider whether there are any other exciting benefits you offer; this could act as the extra bait you need to encourage top candidates to your roles.”