January 2007 Job Creation Index figures released - 45,737 positions created

Over 45,000 jobs were created across the UKís 21 key industries in January. This figure is up by 49 per cent when compared to Jan 2006 job creation. This strong performance has been driven by a number of key sectors. Insurance and Pensions has delivered a positive JCI of 4,150, closely followed by Food and Drink and Telecommunications, creating just under 2,000 jobs between them.

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:

Januaryís Front Runners
Insurance and Pensions ñ After an average end to 2006, the Insurance and Pensions sector has hit the top spot creating 425 jobs in 2006, a positive JCI of 4,150

Food and Drink ñ A very successful January for the Food and Drink industry, not usually a strong performer, the sector has created 366 jobs in 2006, a positive JCI of 1,081

Telecommunications ñ This sector kicks 2007 off well with 1,650 jobs created in 2006, a positive JCI of 1,062. A great turnaround on Decemberís negative JCI figures of -82

Januaryís Chasers
Vehicles and Parts ñ The new year has not brought good fortune for the Vehicles and Parts sector, returning a negative JCI of 99, last seen in May 2006

Printing and Paper ñ A disappointing star to the year for this sector with a negative JCI of 73

Steven Kirkpatrick, managing director of Adecco, said: ìIt is fantastic to see such a strong JCI figure at the start of a new year. 2006 was a reasonably strong year for job creation and if 2007 continues the trend shown in January we should be on for a strong year. It is also good to see sectors such as Telecommunications, struggling at the end of 2006, making such a strong start in 2007.î

Philip Arnold, a director of Mandis, commented, ìWhilst the overall JCI has increased by 49 per cent, the performance across the UK was variable across the various sectors. The Energy and Utilities sector was a surprise growth area; we can however partly attribute this to the Norwegian North Sea Oil Company, ëSeadrill,í who set up a recruitment office in the North East to recruit 2,200 new staff.î

Arnold continued, ìWhilst the Finance and Banking sector did not appear in the frontrunners list, it definitely deserves a mention, as in absolute terms the sector returned the greatest number of new job creations. This sectorís strong end to 2006 has clearly continued through the beginning of 2007.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 2000 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.