Cambridge, Guildford and Reading: The UK cities where it’s easiest to get a job
Cambridge was the easiest place in the UK to get a job in 2014, according to research by job site Adzuna, with just 0.17 jobseekers per vacancy.
Surprisingly, the worst place wasn't in the cut-and-thrust of the City – but in Salford, where there were 23.54 jobseekers per role.
Guildford, Reading and Winchester also fared well, while The Wirral and Sunderland were among the toughest markets.
(Source: Adzuna)
There was also some good news on the salary front: advertised annual salaries have enjoyed their biggest boost since the recession.
According to the research, the average advertised annual salary climbed to £34,549, 5.8 per cent up on last year's £32,651. The rise comes as the Consumer Price Index rose a meagre one per cent in November.
After years of stagnant or declining wages, workers will be hoping the past four months of real wage growth are more than a blip and mark a turning point for living standards.
Average advertised salary rose by the most in customer service jobs, with a 16.5 per cent jump to £21,353. Manufacturing took second place, with a 14.5 per cent rise, and trade construction came third, with 10.4 per cent.
The research also showed record available vacancies, with 949,788 advertised positions, a 23.6 per cent year-on-year increase.
The number of advertised vacancies has also outpaced the number of jobseekers for the second month in a row. The number of jobseekers per vacancy has plummeted to a post-recession low of 0.89 in November.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said:
The job market has seen a significant revival over the past year. The most recent figures provide a solid base for optimism as we head into 2015.
However, Hunter warns:
It’s important not to rest on our laurels. The fact that the number of advertised job vacancies has continued to blossom over and above the number of jobseekers in November is definitely a sign that the labour market has cultivated momentum over the course of 2014, but this peak in advertised vacancies at the close of the year may owe as much to seasonal work as it does to the resurgent core of the jobs market.
Advertised jobs in the hospitality and catering industry took the biggest salary hit falling 2.1 per cent over the year to £24,148. All UK regions saw year-on-year average advertised salary growth, but Scotland suffered the slowest growth in part thanks to the instability caused by the independence referendum.