Hampshire: Southampton, Portsmouth record strong jobs growth
As advertised job vacancies reach a four month high, it’s clear that businesses were feeling confident in May. In fact, advertised vacancies were up by 9.3% last month, with many of the nation’s key cities also witnessing strong jobs growth. That’s according to the latest data from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job site.
The report, which compared data from May 2018 with that of the same period in 2017, also found that salaries had increased in some of the UK’s key cities. The data suggests that employers are pulling out all the stops to attract talented new recruits. The top cities for rising salaries and job growth include:
| Name of city | Job vacancies | Advertised salaries |
| Exeter | + 25.6% | + 4.1% |
| Liverpool | + 14.4% | + 6.2% |
| Leicester | + 12.4% | + 6.2% |
| London | + 12.3% | + 1.5% |
| Southampton | + 10.9% | + 9.1% |
| Portsmouth | + 9% | + 5.6% |
| Manchester | + 7.7% | + 2.5% |
| Birmingham | + 7.5% | + 2.7% |
| Brighton | + 5.9% | + 1.2% |
| Bristol | + 5.1% | + 3% |
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments on the findings: “It’s clear from the data that businesses are ramping up their recruitment efforts as we approach the summer months. And given the ongoing uncertainty in the UK right now, this is great to see. The rise in pay packets across many of the UK’s key cities also suggests that employers are doing all they can to secure talented new recruits for their business.”
However, despite this hike in job opportunities and pay, candidates are clearly feeling cautious with application rates dropping by 1.6% when compared with data from April 2018. That said, candidate registrations were up by 2.3% month-on-month, suggesting that many professionals are waiting for the right time to make their next career move.
Biggins added: “It’s not surprising to learn that candidate applications saw a slight drop last month, as many professionals will likely have been more concerned with getting out and enjoying the sunshine while it’s there. Especially coupled with the recent flurry of bank holidays that have kept many of us out of the office.
“But the fact that candidate registrations have increased suggests many are preparing to look for their next role ahead of the summer. So if you’re recruiting, now could be the perfect time. Just be sure to keep offering competitive packages and you’ll find your next recruit in no time.”
