Job growth remains strong in the South despite Brexit worries

Professional job availability across the South of England remains strong, with Cambridge, Bristol and Southampton creating opportunities within the professional services and technology, media & telecoms sectors, according to new data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), based on research undertaken by Vacancysoft.

Cambridge

Technology, media & telecoms is now the leading sector for job opportunities in Cambridge, with vacancies rising by 12% year-on-year in April 2019.

The top profession for job openings continues to be IT, despite demand remaining relatively flat, increasing by just 2% year-on-year.

With regards to specific roles, software engineering took the lead, overtaking research & development roles. Demand for internal recruiters was also strong, rising by an impressive 25% - indicating increased future hiring for the region.

The University of Cambridge holds its position as the top organisation for hiring. Astrazeneca PLC is the second largest job creator in the city, increasing recruitment by 6%, following its move to Alderley Park.

Bristol

Professional services is now the leading sector for job opportunities in Bristol, with vacancies rising by 13% year-on-year in April 2019.

Job creation was also significant in the industrials sector, with aerospace being the single largest area of growth, with demand for procurement professionals to assess requirements for stock and warehousing up by over 30%.

Growth was also notable in the financial services sector, where vacancy number increased by 9% and in technology, media & telecoms, where demand for talent grew by 4% over the same period.

The University of Bristol continues to hold the top spot as the biggest recruiter in the city, with hiring increasing by 5% in 2018.

Southampton

Demand for IT professionals is soaring in Southampton with vacancies increasing by 22% year-on-year.

Carnival PLC replaced Old Mutual Wealth Life Assurance Ltd as the top firm for job creation in the city. The firm increased its hiring by 50% after it signed a marine Liquefield Natural Gas agreement with Shell in late 2017.

By sector, professional vacancies in consumer goods and services rocketed, increasing by 33%. In contrast, financial services witnessed a 10% decrease in job creation in 2018.

In terms of specific roles, internal recruiters are the most sought after professionals, with vacancies up 39%.

Commenting on the data, Rina Durban, Membership Relations Manager at APSCo said:

“It is fantastic to see the region experiencing high levels of vacancy growth. While the UK economy is projected to dip in 2019, due to the drag on business investment from the ongoing political uncertainty, the South East is forecast to deliver the highest economic growth, according to PwC’s latest Economic Outlook report.”

“The trend across all three cities, is growth in demand for tech professionals. Cambridge, Southampton and Bristol are all known to be excellent talent hubs, benefitting from high-skilled individuals from the universities, and expected to attract even more business to the regions.”


-ENDS


Zahra Abedi
BlueSky PR
T: +44 (0)1582 790 094
E: zahra@bluesky-pr.com
W: www.bluesky-pr.com