Employer demand for new UK workers rose in September to reach its highest level in the last six months, with the Reed Job Index reaching 104.
The number of new jobs on offer across the country rose by two points (two percent) compared to last month. Only February’s Index figure has been higher (at 105) since the Reed Job Index began last December.
Salaries for new jobs rose a little compared to last month to give a Reed Salary Index reading of 96, one point above the level of 95 which had held steady for the previous four months. While this shows a slight increase, salaries are still lower than when the Index began in December 2009, when the Salary Index was set at 100.
Each month the Reed Job Index tracks the number of new job opportunities and the salaries on offer compared to the previous month and against a baseline of 100 set in December last year. The Reed Job Index is based on data from the UK’s largest job board, reed.co.uk, which every day lists over 90,000 job opportunities from 8,000 recruiters across 37 career sectors throughout the UK.
While overall job demand rose across the board, rises were greatest in sectors like IT & Telecoms, Customer Service, Leisure & Tourism, and Media, Digital & Creative. The figures demonstrate the return of demand in business services in particular while demand in the Public Sector continues to decline to reach its lowest level since the Index began last December.
Outside London the recovery appears to be accelerating, with the Job Index in Scotland, East Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humberside reaching their highest levels ever. While job demand in London has risen two points compared to last month, to give a London Job Index figure of 98, the capital is no longer spearheading the recovery as was the case earlier in the year.
Martin Warnes, Managing Director of reed.co.uk, comments on the Reed Job Index for September:
“Job demand across the country has risen to its highest level for six months, while salaries for new jobs are lower than at the beginning of the year. Demand is especially strong across business services, although jobs are also returning to the traditionally industrial heartlands of areas such as the East Midlands and Yorkshire. While there are still grounds for caution, with overall job demand lower than it was in February and Public Sector job numbers continuing to decline, overall this is good news for the UK economy.”
