SURFS UP for one million Scots jobseekers

As the online recruitment market approaches its tenth birthday in 2005, over one million Scots adults have chosen to surf for jobs online.

According to recent research by Enhance Media in London, online jobseeker activity in the Scottish market has grown by over 100,000 this year with an estimated online recruitment market value of 10 million annually.

Enhance Mediaís managing director Tim Elkington says, ìThere are approximately 25 million adults now using the Internet in the UK, with just over 11 million looking for jobs through the web. The most sensible estimate on the Scottish online recruitment market would be 9% of that total figure, or approximately one million Scots adults who are now using the Internet to source recruitment opportunities.î

Corresponding research by Workthingís E-Recruitment survey reports that some 80% of jobseekers and 70% of businesses are currently headed toward online recruitment.

The UKís online recruitment market is expected to double in value by 2008, with current estimated online recruitment revenue of over 100 million annually.

Buoying the Scottish online recruitment market with 200% growth over the last year and a 100% increase in jobs posted online is independent online recruitment website ScottishJobs.com. The Edinburgh-headquartered companyís spectacular growth over the last quarter has outstripped its media-owned competitors three to one in Scottish recruiter acquisitions.

Bolstered by the addition of over fifty new client acquisitions since August 2004, and a corresponding rise in the number of jobs posted online from 2,000 to 4,000 over the last quarter, the independent site now stands as the No. 1 choice for Scottish recruiters.

The development of Internet based recruitment alternatives in 1995 was spearheaded by the creation of Monster.com by Jeff Taylor in the US and Robbie Cowlingís Jobserve website.

At that time, less than 6% of the UK adult population had accessed the Internet in the last twelve months.

Ten years on, exponential growth in online recruitment has created a multi-billion global industry, where over 11.1 million UK adults (NOP World) have used the Internet to look for a job in the last year.

Over 80% of all jobseekers now see the Internet as the simplest way to source new job opportunities, and up to 70% of businesses predicted to undertake some form of online recruitment in future.

ScottishJobs.com managing director Pat Kelly says, ìBusinesses and jobseekers alike throughout Scotland are more confident and educated about web-based technology than ever before and online recruiting is now viewed as highly important. Online recruitment has grown dramatically and weíve worked hard to raise awareness of the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of what ScottishJobs.com has to offer. Our efforts have delivered terrific results for our clients and an excellent response in terms of business development.î