- The Monster Employment Index UK rose by four points (three percent), ending the year at a twelve-month high
- HR, manufacturing, legal and finance all reported increased opportunities in December, while demand for technically skilled workers in architecture, construction and engineering remained muted
- Wales saw the best upturn in job demand, with Scotland and London also seeing improvements
Online recruitment opportunities in the UK rose four points (three percent) in December, ending the year at a level unseen over the prior 11 months. Year on year the Index was down 15 percent, the smallest since December 2008 and well below the overall EU level, suggesting the UK labour market is emerging somewhat ahead of its continental counterpart.
Among occupational groups, opportunities have risen the most for clerical support workers, many of whom are employed in temporary positions, suggesting the worst of the corporate freeze is over.
The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.
“Despite a still-struggling economy, UK job prospects are improving as employers slowly begin to emerge from financial crisis-induced recruitment hibernation,” commented Julian Acquari, Managing Director at Monster UK and Ireland. “Clerical and support occupations are leading the way in terms of demand recovery, suggesting companies are primarily seeking temporary staff in order to maintain workforce flexibility as long as the economic uncertainty lingers. However, the uptick in HR opportunities also suggests that more organisations are preparing to increase personnel to take advantage of opportunities presenting themselves in the wake of the downturn.”
