United Kingdom sees record number of job vacancies as lockdown restrictions eases

Number of vacancies has jumped by more than 40 per cent since earlier in year (Getty Images)

According to recent data, the number of employment openings in the UK has reached a record high, with “strong growth” in industries affected by the lifting of shutdown restrictions.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 953,000 vacancies between May and July this year (ONS).

This was a 40 percent increase from earlier in the year, and it was the biggest amount since records began in 2001.

Between May and July, the ONS reported that there were 3.2 vacancies for every 100 employee positions in the UK, which is also a record high.

According to the data from the statistics organization, the arts, leisure, and recreation business witnessed the most increase over time, with the number of openings increasing by 276 percent from February to April.

The hospitality industry, for example, has seen a surge in employment openings as a result of the relaxation of lockdown limitations.

The number of people working in the United Kingdom increased in July as the recovery in the labor market continued, according to the data.

According to the ONS, the number of UK workers on payrolls increased by 182,000 in June and July but remains 201,000 lower than before the Covid epidemic.

The statistics office also reported that the jobless rate fell to 4.7% in the three months leading up to the end of June.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, responded to the latest ONS labor market data by saying, "Today's figures show that our plan for jobs is working - saving people's jobs and getting people back into work."

“I understand there may still be stumbling blocks, but the data is encouraging: there are now more employees on payrolls than at any time since March 2020, and the number of people on furlough is at its lowest level since the scheme began.”

According to Jonathan Athow, the ONS's deputy national statistician for economic statistics: "The labor market is still bouncing back from the effects of the epidemic.

"The number of individuals on payroll has increased by almost half a million in the last three months, reversing nearly four-fifths of the drop witnessed at the onset of the pandemic.”

According to early survey data, the number of job openings surpassed one million for the first time in July.

According to a recent study by Caterer.com, employment openings in the hospitality industry have increased by 342% since the sector was permitted to reopen during the Covid epidemic, and certain regions would have been particularly hard impacted by the loss of EU employees.

Publish : 2021-08-18 11:05:00

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