Recruitment Trends: Who’s in Demand Right Now?

The UK workforce is facing one of the toughest job markets in history.

According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, the number of people out of work rose by 210,000 to 2.47 million in the three months to July – the highest it has been since 1995.

Recruitment experts have pointed out, however, that the unemployment rate has grown at a slower pace than expected. Nigel Meager, director of the Institute for Employment Studies, attributed this to UK companies finding ways to manage costs without cutting headcount.

“Employment has not fallen as much as in previous recessions partly because many employers have made efforts to retain staff through measures such as pay freezes, and short-time working,” he told This Is Money.

Positive signs for permanent and temporary jobs

Commenting on the latest unemployment figures, Kevin Green, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's Chief Executive, said there is still job growth in certain sectors of the market, despite the spike in unemployment.

“Though these statistics may paint a sombre picture, many professional recruiters are reporting positive signs within UK jobs market with recent industry data in our Report on Jobs showing modest increases in both permanent and temporary appointments,” he said.

The permanent job market is faring slightly better than the temporary market. According to the REC and KPMG Report on Jobs, the permanent job index rose from 46.1 in July to 50.6 in August, while the temporary job index rose from 45.1 in July to 50.3 (the 50 mark indicates growth).

Commenting on the report, Bernard Brown, head of business services at KPMG, said:

“This is the first time we have seen really positive news for the UK jobs market in 17 months.”

Where the jobs are

The latest figures from Careers and Jobs UK, the career resource and jobs board show that despite the broad-spectrum rise in unemployment, certain skill sets are still in demand.

Accountants are in hot demand, with 64% more recruiters posting accountancy positions on the website in June compared with the previous month.

On the other end of the scale, fewer hospitality and property jobs are being posted on the site, with vacancies in hospitality falling by 45% and opportunities in property decreasing by almost 6% in the three months leading up to June.

Social workers and support staff needed

One sector that provides plenty of employment opportunities is social work.

In the wake of the heavily publicised ‘Baby P’ case, the number of child protection referrals to social work teams has increased. This is placing additional pressure on short-staffed child support teams who are already working evenings, weekends and holidays to keep on top of all the work in the system.

A UNISON study on social workers found that job vacancies in the sector had risen to 39% and the organisation has called for measures to attract more social workers into the industry.

There is also a need for more support staff to take care of the paperwork so social workers can spend more time in the field.

While social work and caring don’t pay as well as other industries, they are ideal for those who are seeking other kinds of rewards such as job satisfaction and an opportunity to give something back to society.

Gap in the market for young engineers

Another industry in danger of becoming short-staffed is engineering.

Energy company National Grid needs to hire close to 1,000 engineers to replenish its workforce, which will contract by a third before 2020 due to retirements.

Despite running extensive graduate recruitment schemes, however, the firm has not been able to appoint enough young engineers. The company conducted a study and found that young people were reluctant to pursue a career in engineering because they had negative perceptions of the profession, dismissing it as ‘menial’.

The chief executive of National Grid, Steve Holliday, has expressed his concern.

“This report makes extremely worrying reading for me,” he said.

“Engineers are at the heart of our business. Our current level of ‘growing our own’ through graduate and apprentices schemes will just not fill this gap. We need a bigger pool of talented young engineers – not a shrinking one.”

Graduate opportunities in the armed services

The armed forces are providing plenty of employment opportunities at present, especially for graduates.

The Guardian reports that this sector is the only major employer to have increased its graduate vacancies this year. According to market research by High Flyers, the number of graduate jobs available is up from 1,890 in 2008, to 2,100 in 2009.

However, the sector has high standards when it comes to recruiting graduates.

"Graduates should bear in mind that it is very competitive to get in. We don't just look for academic qualifications; we want to see people who have done more with their spare time than just sitting in front of a PlayStation,” said John Turner, the RAF's deputy recruiting officer.

“We like people who have been members of youth organisations or have spent their gap year doing something worthwhile,” he added.

While there are risks involved and new recruits have little or no choice about where they are posted; the armed services offer jobseekers an opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable work experience.

"One of the things we want to put across to potential officers in particular is that the army can be a stepping stone in their career. We're not asking for a lifetime commitment, we're saying let's see how it goes. If they decide to leave after a couple of years they will have management and other skills that they can take with them,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence.

Once commissioned, recruits stand to earn a competitive salary, ranging from around £24,000 for a second lieutenant in the army to upwards of £33,950 for a qualified RAF pilot. In addition, they’ll get six weeks' holiday a year, free medical and dental treatment and subsidised food.

For those who would prefer a non-combat role, the armed forces offers a wide variety of positions for newly qualified doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, veterinary surgeons, dentists, nurses and lawyers.

It seems as if some skills will always be in demand, no matter how much the market fluctuates.

This just goes to show that despite the gloomy unemployment figures, certain industries are still hiring. There are job opportunities out there for the UK workforce; they just need to know where to look for them.