- Number of Britons seeking a new job in January jumped by two-thirds on 2016 levels
- ‘The Night Manager’ effect sparks 126% surge in interest in hotel manager jobs
- Tech jobs dominate UK jobseekers’ wishlists, with a spike in search for ‘job coach’ roles
- France records the biggest surge in jobseeking, with the self-confident Irish posting a 243% increase in searches for modelling work
Britain began 2017 with the world’s fourth sharpest spike in the number of people looking for a new job, according to data published today by the global job site Indeed.
The number of Britons hunting for jobs on Indeed – the world’s biggest job site – rocketed by 64% in January compared to the 2016 average, not far behind the 72% surge seen in France.
While “find a new job” frequently rivals pledges to quit smoking and join a gym as the most universal of New Year’s Resolutions, Britons’ jobseeking fervour at the start of 2017 far outstripped that seen in many other major economies.
Tech sector jobs proved especially popular among the UK’s January jobseekers, accounting for three out of the five most searched-for roles. However the biggest surge in interest was in job coach roles (up 249%), and there was a 126% increase in the number of Britons looking for hotel operations manager jobs – perhaps inspired by Tom Hiddleston’s sharp-suited turn in the TV drama The Night Manager.
Table: Jobs seeing the biggest spike in searches in January
Meanwhile Ireland saw a 243% increase in the number of people looking for modelling work, and Germany recorded the largest spike in interest in any single role – a 900% increase in searches for English translator jobs.
Bill Richards, UK managing director at global job site, Indeed, comments: “’New year, new job’ is a global refrain, and January is a perennially busy month for us as people around the world seek to ring the changes and move their career on.
“But this January’s surge in jobseeking in the UK has been exceptionally strong, with Britain’s spike in job searches more than double the size of Japan’s.
“Savvy employers know to capitalise on the New Year rush, and that job ads posted in January will often be seen by a bigger than usual pool of talent.
“Britain enjoys very high levels of employment, meaning the labour market in many sectors is tight. For recruiters, advertising a job in January isn’t just a smart tactic, it’s smart business.”
