Is it a competitive job market? Are employers hiring?

What is the latest news on the job market and is the country in recovery yet?

What is the competition for jobs like and is it an employee or an employers market?

Is now a good time to search for a job?

These are the questions posed to recruiters daily by employers and jobseekers.   Questions from clients keen to encourage the best candidates to work for them, and enquiries from jobseekers wanting to know whether they are in a good position to find work.  So what are the answers?

Is now a good time to search for a job?

The team at Glen Callum Associates have been at the cutting edge of recruitment for the past two decades and remain active in making successful appointments as businesses shift focus.  With a reputation for being “in the no” the knowledge the GCA recruiters hold of the job markets within the automotive and engineering sectors, enables us to share with our clients and candidates the latest info on current hiring trends.

So, what are the latest job posting stats?

According to a survey by the recruitment industries leading body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the stats reflect rising confidence with businesses showing a readiness to employ…..

140,000 new job postings!

The number of new job postings has remained high amidst the re-opening of the economy. The week of 5-11 April recorded a further 140,000 new job postings, giving a total of 1.37 million active job adverts in the UK. This is on top of a further 181,000 in the previous week, which was the highest weekly figure since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The three best weeks

The higher numbers of job postings over the last few weeks reflect rising business confidence and an increasing willingness to hire new staff as the economy opens up.  In fact, the three best weeks for new job postings have all come since 8 March.

Aside from the survey compiled by the REC the latest ONS Market labour figures, published yesterday, also forecast an increase in new job postings.

“These figures show continued resilience in the labour market despite the winter lockdown. The unemployment rate was lower than the previous quarter – reflecting an upturn in hiring, as REC surveys and today’s vacancies numbers suggest”  Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive

What roles are in demand?

Interestingly of the new jobs posted the top 5 occupations include, Technicians, H&S officers and Engineers, all core roles for the GCA team, The roles below are now in high demand, as expected bar staff feature at number 2 as hospitality starts to open up again.

The”top5″JobRoles

As a recruitment consultancy our recruiters speak to employers on a daily basis and the team are definitely reporting a more confident outlook.

What is the competition for jobs like?

Whilst the number of jobs GCA are actively recruiting for has surged to pre-pandemic numbers, we are seeing a fall in competition from candidates for roles.  Jobseekers in specialist roles or in engineering and adjacent industries are still in short supply,  employees that would have previously considered a move are choosing to stay put with the fear of uncertainty proving a factor and this is leaving a shortage of candidates for businesses to chose from.

Is it an employee or an employers hiring market?

Glen Shepherd, GCA Recruitment Director, said: “There is a perception by some employers that there is a large pool of candidates on the job market as a result of the pandemic. This is certainly true of some professions, however the skills gap for specialist roles within industries that have continued to trade are still there. The covid pandemic hasn’t seen an increase in candidates for all industries, for some it has led to  shortages. We are seeing overseas workers return home, early retirements, a change in career choice, employees wanting to work fewer hours, all of this has left companies having to work harder to find talent. Working closely with forward-thinking aftermarket companies we’re have been able to share our expertise on current trends to help them put in place recruitment strategies that can help them future-proof their businesses”.

The recruitment team at Glen Callum Associates are currently working with clients to engage candidates with the talent, skills and experience they are looking for.  The present outlook is continued recovery for businesses and a return to the candidate driven job market.

Should you wish to discuss the above stats further or if you would like to engage one of our recruiters to assist with your recruitment or job search strategy, either as a client or a jobseeker then contact us today.

We are especially interested in receiving the CV’s of candidates who are looking for roles NOW and whom would like support from a team of recruiters whose aim is to ensure that their job search is treated ethically and professionally.  Our aim is to ensure that the role is right for you as the candidate and in turn you are right long term for our clients.

Get in touch NOW on   01384485274 or email your CV to jobs@glencallum.co.uk