April 2006 job creation index (JCI) figures released - 33,872 positions created

Nearly 34,000 jobs were created across the UKís 21 key industries in April. In total the overall job creation is up by 4,525 jobs, the first time the JCI has risen in 2006. This month a number of key sectors have focused on recruitment impacting the overall job creation figures. The industry at the top of the index this month is the Health and Social care sector. The reported drop in NHS jobs as a result of government cuts, is reflected in the public sector decline but non-NHS initiatives and an increase in care home staff has meant that Health and Social care has seen an upturn in job creation.

The JCI figures are determined by comparing the number of jobs created within UK industrial sectors each month with the number of jobs created for the corresponding month in the previous year. The JCI figure shows individual industry performance, measured as a percentage above or below the number of jobs created from a year ago. From these figures, the following trends have been highlighted:

Aprilís Front Runners
Health and Social care ñ Private health care initiatives and an increase in care home staff has resulted in an increase in job creation for the Health and Social care sectors. This month the job creation figure rises to 489

Vehicles and parts ñ Consistently this sector recruits steadily and this month is no exception; the industry has seen a surge in job creation with the JCI rising to 481

Chemical and pharmaceuticals ñ For the second time in 2006 this sector is amongst the front-runners on the job creation index with the JCI rising to 415

Aprilís Chasers
Land and property ñ The slowing property market is reflected in this monthís Job Creation Index. The land and property sector is at the bottom of index with a JCI of -84

Public Sector ñ The public sector continues to see a downturn in job creation following government job cuts in the NHS. The JCI has dropped to -45

Neil Jones, Adecco Sales & Marketing Director of Adecco UK and Ireland said: ìAfter a slow start to 2006 we have seen a positive start to the second quarter of the year with 4,525 more jobs created this month compared to April 2005. We can expect to see continual fluctuations in job creation over 2006 but this it is encouraging to see that the majority of industries are re-focusing on recruitment.î

Nicholas Eggington, operations manager of Mandis commented, ìIt is positive to see an uplift in job creation compared with the same period last year. The doom and gloom being talked about the NHS recently is reflected in a 45 per cent drop in public sector recruitment and while there are still jobs being created in health and social care, these do tend to be in care homes and non-NHS initiatives. Building and Construction continues its good year and even in the Vehicles and Parts sector there are jobs being created.î

The Mandis/Adecco Job Creation Index is the ongoing monthly tracker of UK jobs created across 21 industries in the UK that enables year on year monthly comparisons. This ëliveí data is gathered via research during each month into the employment intentions of a representative sample of over 500 UK organisations, providing a key, up-to-date indicator on economic performance and confidence across the sectors. The monthly study is conducted by Mandis Business Intelligence and sponsored by Adecco, the UKís largest recruiter.