Job vacancies rise for second month in a row
THE NUMBER of job vacancies rose for a second month in a row in September, according to jobs site Adzuna, in a sign that confidence is returning to the UK economy.
The website’s latest jobs market report, out today, found that there were 710,859 vacancies listed online throughout September, up 3.3 per cent on the same month last year and the highest level in two years.
The average salary also grew by 0.6 per cent between August and September to £34,005 per annum, but is still 0.3 per cent lower than last year and continues to be led by London and the South East.
In real terms, once the UK’s above-target inflation is factored in, pay has fallen £1,020 in a year, as inflation has further devalued the average annual pay-packet.
Adzuna co-founder Andrew Hunter said: “The fall in real wages remains a black spot on an otherwise optimistic picture. It’s great to see salary increases, but there is still a way to go before this will close the gap of inflation, which has been outpacing wage growth ever since the financial crisis.”
Competition for jobs fell year-on-year from 2.3 jobseekers per vacancy to 1.9. But the outlook for graduates remained tough, with more than 50 competing for every entry level job, and salaries down 3.4 per cent.