Huge spike in construction job numbers as industry returns to work

According to new figures from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, job postings were up by 0.7% following the government’s announcement that key industries could go back to work, with the construction industry (up 36.8%) experiencing an even bigger increase.

The job board looked at the amount of jobs posted w/c 11^th May, vs those posted w/c 4^th May and found that the sector experienced the second biggest hike in vacancies week-on-week:

Agriculture +124.1%
Property +47%
Manufacturing +42.9%
Customer Service +38.9%
Construction +36.8%
Administration +35.3%
Accounting/Finance +30.5%
IT +24.4%
Electronics +23.4%
Retail +22.4%

On the other end of the spectrum, the industries that saw the biggest fall in job adverts include leisure/tourism (down 86.7%), automotive (down 72.8%), catering (down 34.2%), charities (down 18.2%) and medical (down 17.9%).

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments on the findings: “While the UK continues to follow strict social distancing guidelines, the government’s announcement that key industries could return to the workplace on Wednesday 13^th May appears to have instilled confidence back into employers. As a result, we’re slowly seeing job numbers pick back up; though they are nowhere near the levels they would normally be.”

The findings will come as welcome news to the millions of professionals who are actively looking for work right now. Indeed, a study CV-Library conducted amongst 1,408 professionals in May reveals that 90.9% of people who are currently unemployed in the construction industry are hoping to find a job during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biggins continues: “Prior to this pandemic, the labour market was largely candidate-driven but this has definitely shifted. The demand for jobs is outstripping supply and it’s going to take some time for this to change. What’s more, a lot of companies are reliant on the government’s furlough scheme to keep their employees in work, so unemployment rates aren’t yet at their peak.

“That said, our findings do provide some reassurance that the government’s effort to kickstart the economy again are working, though we cannot rest on our laurels just yet. Businesses must continue to make smart decisions and follow guidelines closely.”