October 2019 saw job applications rise by nearly 10 per cent compared to 2018 with cities in the south enjoying the biggest gains.
This research was conducted by CV-Library which found that October 2019 saw an increase of 8.9 per cent in job applications compared to the same period last year.
Below is the top 10 cities which enjoyed the biggest surge in job applications:
- Portsmouth – 37 per cent
- Brighton – 19 per cent
- Southampton – 17 per cent
- Bristol – 17 per cent
- Cardiff – 13 per cent
- Glasgow – 12 per cent
- Edinburgh – 11 per cent
- London – 10 per cent
- Manchester – 4 per cent
CV-Library believes this rise is most likely due to the increase in salary offered as Brighton witnessed the largest wage growth at 39 per cent, Edinburgh at 31 per cent and Portsmouth with 16 per cent.
The charity sector experienced the biggest increase in applications year-on-year at 72 per cent, hospitality with 46 per cent, IT at 36 per cent, legal saw 33 per cent and electronic witnessed a 27 per cent increase.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library said:
While it may be encouraging to see that candidates are feeling confident about job hunting, employers should remain wary. Even though Brexit has been pushed back to 2020, the result of the general election could have a huge impact on the job market and our future in the European Union.
However, while airing on the side of caution, now is a great time to hire ahead of the New Year rush, especially as candidates in these key cities are responding to the market strength. Plus, with a significant break between any likely conclusion to Brexit, now is as good a time as any.
While many companies are tempted to wind down in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year, it’s a good opportunity to get ahead with your hiring plans. The promise of higher pay is driving applications up right now, but it’s important to evaluate and assess the suitability of a candidate before offering them a bumper new pay packet.
Set up a structured, fair and thorough hiring process to give you the best possible chance of making a great hire. Rushing or cutting corners can do more harm than good, and it can increase your chances of letting good candidates slip through the cracks.
To get these results CV-Library analysed job market data from October 2019 and compared these figures to data from the same time last year.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
