Employers braced for autumn recruitment battle as vacancies rise across UK

Competition amongst employers for skilled candidates is set to heat up considerably throughout September, as new job market data reveals a sharp increase in advertised vacancies throughout Britain.

Research from job site CV-Library showed that year-on-year vacancies in the UK rose 10.7 per cent in August 2017, with employers in ten cities in particular posting a significantly higher number of job advertisements.

For small business owners, September tends to be a productive recruitment month, with graduates becoming available and job seeking professionals returning from summer holidays.

The top ten UK cities for job growth (August 2016 August 2017)

1. Bristol – 45.3 per cent
2. Sheffield 42.5 per cent
3. Glasgow 37.8 per cent
4. Leeds 34.4 per cent
5. Manchester 33.2 per cent
6. Cardiff 30.3 per cent
7. Southampton 28.6 per cent
8. Birmingham 27.3 per cent
9. Edinburgh 27.1 per cent
10. Liverpool 19.2 per cent

Industries witnessing the most impressive jobs growth included social care (26.7 per cent), manufacturing (24.5 per cent) and accounting (16.9 per cent).?

Commenting on the rise of advertised job vacancies, Lee Biggins, founder of CV-Library, said the figures indicated a jobs rush for employers in September, traditionally a busy time for recruitment.

with recent graduates entering the workforce and September blues setting in as professionals return from their holidays, we often see an increase in those looking for their next exciting career opportunity, Biggins said.

with so many key cities experiencing job growth, businesses will have to fight hard to stand out from their competitors and attract the most talented candidates to their business.?

Data from CV Library also showed businesses emerging unscathed from a typical summer slowdown in candidate appetite, with job applications rising throughout August in key locations.

Between July and August 2017, applications in Glasgow increased by 13.8 per cent, while Nottingham, Liverpool and Brighton led in England.

With the jobs maket becoming increasingly competitive for employers Biggins offered valuable recruitment advice for business decision makers.

“it’s clear from our findings that candidate appetite is showing no signs of slowing down, which is positive news for UK businesses. We expect to see these numbers continue to grow throughout September which means that now is the perfect time to be looking for your next hire.

“Just be sure to do all you can to stand out from your competitors, especially in terms of writing an enticing job advert that’s going to attract the most talented and eager candidates to your vacancies.”

Our three-part guide to hiring your first employee is vital reading for all new founders:

• Registration and insurance
• Law and contracts
• Benefits and salary