“Most industries in the UK saw substantial growth in October despite online job opportunities falling for the second month in succession,” said Andrea Bertone, Regional Director, Monster Worldwide Europe. “However, the decline in the October Index suggests some moderation in labour demand at the onset of the fourth quarter.”
Banking, finance and insurance recovered from three months of considerable decline, increasing by 28 Index points in October. This recovery was driven by increased demand for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals.
“It is highly encouraging to see the banking, finance and insurance industry bounce back so strongly from the decline it has suffered recently. This growth may be due to the implementation of the MiFID directive in the UK and the recruitment of staff to handle additional reporting requirements,” added Bertone.
Of all UK regions, only the Midlands reported an increase in online job demand in October, largely due to an upturn in opportunities in banking, finance and insurance and growth in education, training and library. Of the occupational groups, plant and machine operators and assemblers experienced the highest growth in the Midlands.
For the second successive month, the South West experienced the biggest downturn, dropping by 16 points. Scotland went down 10 points in October, due in part to a decrease in agriculture, fishing and forestry. Fewer opportunities in sales led to a drop in online hiring in East Anglia for the third month in a row.
