Job vacancies on the increase, says study

New job vacancies rose by 7.2 per cent in June compared with a year ago, latest figures indicate.

According to the Reed Job Index, motoring, health and medicine, social care and engineering recorded the highest increases.

Recent developments in the car industry, particularly in the West Midlands and the North West, have provided a major boost to job prospects in motor and engineering sectors, the report suggests.

Meanwhile the number of part-time vacancies has doubled in the past 12 months, the recruitment agency said.

Martin Warnes, managing director at reed.co.uk, said: “Following two months of encouraging figures, we can say with some confidence that the UK jobs market is in a significantly healthier position than it was this time last year.

“Though month-on-month growth fell back slightly, largely due to the extended bank holiday period, broadly speaking, job opportunities are growing healthily across many sectors and in the vast majority of regions.

“The rise in part-time opportunities is also noteworthy, reflecting a growing flexibility and open-minded approach on the part of employers to look for ways to retain roles and sustain business development in a challenging economy.”

However, the study also reveals that salaries have remained more or less static. The national salary index stood at 98 in June, unchanged from May and from the previous June.

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