The research amongst 2,000 Brits was carried out by leading online UK job site Fish4jobs to understand job optimism on a city-by-city level. The results reveal some of the least and most job optimistic cities in the UK and what impact that will have moving forward.
Top 10 least optimistic cities regarding local job opportunities in their city:
- Derry 17%
- Newport - 19%
- Gloucester - 23%
- Nottingham - 26%
- Wrexham - 28%
- Swansea - 29%
- Newcastle upon Tyne - 30%
- Carlisle - 30%
- Glasgow - 31%
- Plymouth - 32%
Top 10 most optimistic cities regarding job opportunities in their city:
- Aberdeen 88%
- Walsall 60%
- Cardiff - 59%
- London - 59%
- Edinburgh - 58%
- Blackpool - 57%
- Belfast - 57%
- Chelmsford - 56%
- Bath - 56%
- Oxford - 50%
The stats reveal a stark difference between levels of job optimism in Derry and Aberdeen whilst attitudes towards jobs also differ dramatically. When respondents were asked if they would choose earning more money over job satisfaction in Aberdeen 86 % agreed with this statement whereas just 17% of those from Derry.
Sarah El-Doori, Fish4jobs spokesperson said; “Often as a nation we look at job confidence on a macro level and its impact for us domestically and internationally.
In reality for most people it is what happens where they live and work which matters and that is why we conducted this research on a local level.”
“At Fish4jobs, we represent job seekers and employers from across the UK. We conducted this research to better understand if a person’s perception of the job market changes depending on where they live in the country, and how worried they are by external factors that could affect employment in their area.”
- 43% of people don’t believe their employers business will grow over the next two years and one in 10 are uncertain that their employer will still be in business.
- 51% don’t expect a pay rise this year - effectively meaning that they’ll be earning less as prices rise ahead of their earnings.
- 23% think it’ll take them at least three months to find another job, while 16% believe they’d struggle to gain employment elsewhere.
- Men are almost twice as optimistic about the current pre Brexit employment prospects compared with women, 22% believe Brexit will increase job opportunities whereas just 12% of women agreed with the statement.
Sarah El-Doori, continues “Men have traditionally been more confident about their ability to find a job; but it’s concerning to see people’s lack of optimism about being employed as it has a detrimental effect on the job market and the economy as a whole. If people are nervous to move jobs because they lack the optimism that they will find another role successfully, this impacts the flow of new people coming in and employees moving on within a businesses.”
“Fish4jobs have jobs in over 250 towns and cities across the UK and support candidates with CV and interview tips to help employees be more job confident.”