CV Genius released its 2024 HR Statistics Report this week with 103+ critical data points illustrating how job seekers, employees, and employers in the UK are adapting to a labour market in flux. The comprehensive report compiles data points from 39 reputable sources and is a valuable tool for understanding the UK's current job market, recruitment practices, and workforce. “From the pandemic to the cost of living crisis, the past four years have presented immense challenges for the UK, and this report allows us to appreciate how professionals across the board have been responding,” said Samuel Johns, Lead Career Expert at CV Genius. The findings address a wide breadth of topics currently faced by employers, employees, and job seekers in the UK, including job searches, recruitment, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement:Job search trends: Around 50% of employees say they're either looking for a new job now or plan to in the next six months. Meanwhile, 53% say they're likely to look for a job when the economy is performing poorly.
- One in four job seekers is motivated by money
- Only 6% say they're driven by a greater sense of purpose
- One in three (32%) of private sector workers and just under half (45%) of public sector workers don't believe they're paid fairly
Recruitment statistics: Most companies are filling fewer permanent positions than they were previously and 41% say they have hard-to-fill vacancies because of a growing skills gap in the UK labour market.
- 50% of HR professionals believe it's difficult or very difficult to find good candidates for entry-level positions
- Only 8% of recruiters feel universities are equipping students with the collaboration skills they need for most jobs
- Four out of five UK businesses say they will need to hire outside of the UK because of the talent shortage
Challenges to diversity and inclusion: Even with 48% of UK professionals reporting that their organisations celebrate diversity, significant inequality is an enduring issue across many professional spaces.
- Ethnic minority candidates in London need to submit 60–90% more applications than White British applicants to receive a response.
- 22% of BIPOC individuals have experienced workplace discrimination. This rate increases to 50% among employees from non-Christian religious groups and 32% among LGBTQIA+ employees.
- 50% of managers in one study said they would avoid hiring a neurodiverse candidate.
- 56% of UK firms provide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training and 44% actively strive to diversify their applicant pool, but only 17% are actively monitoring the effectiveness of their initiatives.
Engagement and quiet quitting: Employees have been working less and prioritising their well-being since the pandemic started. Between 2019 and 2022, 55+ million labour hours were lost globally due to reduced working hours, with millennials accounting for 48.1% of this loss. What's more:
- 57% of employees say they might decline a promotion if they thought it would negatively affect their wellbeing
- 35% of public sector employees and 25% of private sector employees believe their job negatively affects their mental health
- 42% of public sector workers feel overworked, compared to 29% in the private sector
A full list of the report's findings and sources can be found at https://cvgenius.com/blog/career-advice/hr-statistics-for-2024. For further information, please contact Ethan David Lee at ethan@cvgenius.com.
About CV Genius
CV Genius is the go-to resource for UK job seekers of all industries and experience levels. Job applicants can make use of its intuitive CV maker, diverse collection of free industry-specific resources like cover letter examples and CV templates, and in-depth guides on how to write a perfect CV and cover letter. CV Genius and its team of career advisors and HR specialists are ready to help UK job seekers make an effective job application and earn more interviews. For media queries or concerns, please contact us.
