Partner Article

Employment outlook for Christmas beginning to darken

There’s no question that the situation for jobseekers has improved dramatically over the past year.

The number of advertised jobs hit a two-year high in September, and there has also been a significant drop in competition for jobs, with just 1.9 jobseekers per vacancy around the UK compared to 2.3 in 2011.

But while the autumn months performed strongly, the outlook for Christmas is beginning to darken. We’re already seeing the volume of job vacancies easing off in November, ahead of what is typically a slower time on the jobs market.

In addition, a strong North-South divide remains. Our last jobs report found that nine of the top ten cities to find a job were in the South of England, where there are fewer than two jobseekers per vacancy.

In terms of salaries, there are promising signs for London, the South East and Scotland, as advertised wages are up year-on-year. Growth remains uneven across the country, and some pockets of the UK have experienced a fall in wages. Average advertised salaries vary from £40,062 in London to just £26,202 in Wales.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Adzuna .