Job vacancies ‘rise by 24%’

Job vacancies have risen by almost a quarter in the last year, easing the competition for posts, according to an employment website.

Vacancies have risen by 24% and there are now an average of 14 people applying for each post compared with 16 a year ago, analysis by totaljobs.com has found.

A recent surge in the housing market has increased employment opportunities in property, which has recorded a 55% jump in vacancies.

Travel, leisure and tourism saw the second biggest rise at 33%, followed by catering and hospitality with a 31% rise.

Graduate jobs are up 19% and retail jobs have risen by 12%, despite a difficult period which saw Jessops, HMV and Blockbusters enter administration, totaljobs said.

‘Turning a corner’

Accountancy posts rose by 18% but jobs in banking, insurance and finance fell by 20% compared to last year.

Steve Clark, manager of totaljobs.com in Scotland, said: “The jobs market in Scotland continues to improve, with a 24% year-on-year rise in employment opportunities and increasing pay.

“With the summer now upon us, we’ve seen a flurry of job vacancies in tourism and hospitality, which is good news for school and college leavers hoping to gain valuable work experience. The warmer weather has boosted retail sales and the housing market looks like it’s turning a corner.

“The fact that employment opportunities have increased in Scotland since last year is bound to contribute to cautious confidence amongst jobseekers and employers, and it is this cautious confidence that should encourage the growth and investment that this region needs.”

The data is taken from the totaljobs.com barometer which analyses the behaviour of 4.8 million jobseekers and 5,000 recruiters each month, and provides an early snapshot of the jobs market three months ahead of the official Office for National Statistics unemployment data.