The Chancellor’s Summer Economic statement delivered on the 8th July acknowledged tough times for businesses as 100,000 more firms reported decreasing turnover compared with the previous quarter. However, along with £30bn of initiatives to get people back to work and create new jobs, there’s some evidence that the hiring market is showing early signs of recovery. According to new data from LinkedIn, most UK industries have improved from the deep declines seen at the height of the pandemic.
Legal, Software & IT Services and Corporate Services have seen the strongest rebound in hiring. Meanwhile, Media & Communications, Construction, Manufacturing and Recreation & Travel all showed some signs of improvement in June. The recent 15 % VAT reduction for the travel and tourism sector, along with discounted eating for the public during August, will also help to boost these sectors as people seek to enjoy the summer. Construction is also set to benefit from the ‘green homes scheme’.
Despite the easing of lockdown restrictions, hiring within Highstreet Retail and Entertainment remains severely down compared to this time last year, with more than half of UK customers saying they will go shopping less. However, the latest ONS statistics show that between 28 June and 5 July, high streets saw a moderate increase in footfall to just under 50% of that on the same day a year ago, while shopping centres and retail parks saw smaller increases. With the introduction of an employer grant for staff returning from furlough and the ‘kick starter’ scheme for young people, it’s hoped that more sectors will be able to preserve existing jobs while also creating new ones.
Meanwhile, sectors to watch in the coming weeks are Careers Advice and Skills Training. The Chancellor has pledged an extra £32m for recruiting extra careers advisers and £17m for work academies in England. The increase from 13,500 to 27,000 job centre staff, estimated to cost £800k, will see the first 4,500 in place by October. Job centres are set for more face-to-face meetings with jobseekers, helping them to ‘recycle’ their skills in new areas and take advantage of the various initiatives on offer.
Companies hiring in the UK on the week commencing 8th July:
Civil Engineering
- Jacobs: 76 open roles
Defence and Space
- UK Ministry of Defence: 340 open roles
- Leonardo: 65 open roles
Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing
- Siemens: 50 open roles
Facilities Services
- Mitie: 900 open roles
Government Administration
- Aberdeenshire Council: 51 open roles
- Birmingham City Council: 51 open roles
- The City of Edinburgh Council: 50 open roles
Hospital & Health Care
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: 54 open roles
- IQVIA: 182 open roles
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: 67 open roles
Information Technology & Services
Insurance
- Direct Line Group: 72 open roles
Logistics & Supply Chain
- XPO Logistics, Inc.: 914 open roles
Pharmaceuticals
- AstraZeneca: 210 open roles
Retail
- Asda: 109 open roles
- Co-op: 229 open roles
- Iceland: 636 open roles
- Morrisons: 166 open roles
- Ocado: 130 open roles
- Sainsbury’s: 132 open roles
- Superdrug: 96 open roles
- Tesco: 391 open roles
Telecommunications
- Vodafone: 140 open roles
Utilities
- SSE plc: 142 open roles
Tourism & Leisure
- Parkdean Resorts: 1,500
With many organisations seeking to renew demand, many roles will be on a temporary basis. This presents a good opportunity to test the market and try out roles in a new area without long term commitment. If you’re looking for a new role, read up on how to win the best contracts post-Covid, and check out our virtual interview tips to make sure you’re all set to go. ContractingWISE have access to a wide range of hassle-free services that can help you with setting up a limited company or finding the right umbrella company for you. To talk to a member of our team, call: 0203 642 8679
