Totaljobs Barometer Quarter 2, 2011

Construction sector leads the way - could this 
signal the start of a labour market recovery?

View our Barometer infographic

Get the full Totaljobs Barometer report for Quarter 2, 2011.

The latest Totaljobs Barometer figures reveal that the construction industry grew by a significant 22% year-on-year, indicating that a labour market recovery could be on the horizon. In a jobs market severely impacted by the long Easter break and Royal wedding Bank Holiday in April, construction was one of several major sectors, along with engineering, to show substantial growth.

Competition for jobs throughout the UK continues to grow more fierce, with the country reaching a new high of 17 applications per job, up from the 12 recorded for the same period last year. All of this points to the fact that, even though the months of May and June show a big increase in jobs compared to a year ago, the number of people looking for those roles continues to rise.

Website director at totaljobs.com, John Salt, said: “We’re starting to see the beginnings of a possible upturn in the labour market, with a second quarter of continued steadying out in terms of the number of jobs being posted by employers. However, big changes will not happen overnight and we anticipate further small peaks and troughs before a full recovery. It’s great news to see that sectors such as construction are beginning to show signs of recovery as it is these sectors that typically indicate the beginnings of economic recovery.”

Sector changes

Many sectors posted large increases over the equivalent period last year, with both aerospace and construction leading the way on 22% growth. Electronics and engineering followed close behind with 20% hikes year-on-year, and several other sectors posted double-digit percentage increases compared to the second quarter of last year.

Comparisons to the last quarter, however, are less favourable, with only a few sectors bucking the overall trend to post increases. Not for profit and charities grew to the tune of 9%, while catering and hospitality boasted a 5% increase. Oil, gas and alternative energy and telecommunications were among the other sectors to grow, both showing 3% gains over last quarter’s figures. After last quarter’s huge 44% surge, the public sector suffered a 69% drop, the largest of any sector.

Regional variations

A raft of regions saw large year-on-year rises in job figures. Northern Ireland, the North West and the West Midlands all enjoyed double-digit growth over the past 12 months, with Yorkshire and the West Midlands not too far behind. After impressive growth last quarter, Scotland suffered a 9% dip compared to a year ago.

Scotland also showed the biggest fall over last quarter’s figures, with a significant 30% drop, way ahead of Wales’ 19% fall and the 11% decrease in the North West. In contrast, Northern Ireland looks to be turning the corner, with a 12% increase over the first quarter of 2011.

As competitive as ever

Scotland and Wales both showed significant increases on last quarter’s applications per job figures (10% and 6% respectively). However, every region posted a huge rise in the competition for jobs year-on-year, to the extent that East Anglia’s 23% increase was the smallest. This compares to a massive 69% growth in applications per job in the North West and a 66% uplift in Scotland.

In terms of sectors, customer services and secretarial, PAs and administration continue to lead the way, both posting massive year-on-year increases to boast 44 and 42 applications per job respectively. In terms of growth, many sectors showed 90+% gains over the last year, with health and nursing, social services and sublic sector showing that, while the number of jobs in each sector declines, there are as many jobseekers looking for work as ever.

This is just a summary of the full Barometer report for the second quarter of 2011. Download the full Barometer report for Quarter 2 2011 here - signing up will add you to our mailing list, so you'll receive our quarterly reports straight into your inbox from now on.

Download the Totaljobs Barometer Quarter 2 2011 infographic