Hospitality still hit hard as region reports increase in job adverts

Vacancies have reached their highest level since the start of the first lockdown, although there are big regional differences in the number of jobs on offer, the Recruitment and Employment Confederationstudy suggests.

The REC said there were 1.36 million job adverts across the UK in the first week of November, the most since early March.

Half the UK now has higher numbers of job adverts than in March, while other areas still have fewer, the research indicated.

The jobs recovery is being led by north west England and Wales, but London lags behind, said the report.

In our region the number of jobs being advertised went up by 36.8 per cent between September and October. London was up 18.7 per cent, while Wales was up 33 per cent.

But the REC said that while roles in construction, logistics and food and drink have recovered strongly, hospitality and leisure remain at significantly lower levels than in March.

In October there were 48.7 per cent fewer adverts for bar staff than in March, despite a notable recovery during the summer months. Job postings for chefs (-45.6 per cent) and fitness instructors (-36.8 per cent) also remain significantly lower than before the pandemic hit the UK.

Chief executive Neil Carberry said: “Unemployment and redundancy numbers earlier this week showed that this is a tough moment for our jobs market, but we also know that there are always jobs being created and as this data reveals, there is hope to be found in many places and sectors.

“What we need to do now is support businesses who can create jobs, and help people who have lost work to transition into those new roles.

“With the stark difference in demand across different regions, avoiding a skills mismatch will require serious planning.

“Government can help by reducing barriers to creating jobs through tax policy and regulatory change – like keeping the online right-to-work checking we have moved to in the pandemic.”

Employment minister Mims Davies said: “The employment figures released earlier this week showed an increase in vacancies and this is more welcome news, with an uplift in job adverts across key sectors providing a range of opportunities for jobseekers.

“We are doing all we can to support and level up opportunities for workers and jobseekers across the UK through our £30bn Plan for Jobs, including our £2bn Kickstart scheme, which is already creating thousands of high-quality jobs for young people, and boosting our Flexible Support Fund by £150m to provide localised and tailored employment support.”

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