Job adverts increase: Professions in demand as 1.6m jobs advertised including Driving instructors, chefs and leisure assistants
Job adverts increased in May with 1.6 million jobs up for grabs - these are the professions most in demand.
Driving instructors, dental practitioners and welfare and housing staff are among professions which have seen an increase in job adverts in recent weeks, according to new research. Recruiters said jobs for chefs, catering and bar managers and sports and leisure assistants also increased.
However, roles which saw a drop in recruitment included exam invigilators, nannies and au pairs, according to data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Its research found there were more than 1.6 million jobs being advertised in May, slightly up on the previous month.
REC chief membership and innovation officer Maxine Bligh said: “Any sign of an Iran–US agreement will ease one of the global pressures holding back hiring and investment. But domestic political uncertainty and looming employment law changes still leave many firms without the confidence they need to accelerate recruitment.
“We are likely to see some growth in the job market, but not at full speed, with many businesses continuing to rely on temporary staff until the outlook becomes clearer.”
The news came after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday (June 18) the number of job vacancies in the UK had fallen to its lowest level for five years. From March to May, the ONS said the number of vacancies fell to 707,000, the lowest level since February to April 2021.
ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said the fall suggested "firms are becoming more cautious about taking on new staff" amid financial uncertainty. HMRC data showed that in April, just under 540,000 people started new jobs, the lowest monthly figure since March 2021.