Vacancies in education spiked in September following the summer lull, but applications continue to decline. That’s according to new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and Broadbean Technology.

The data showed that permanent vacancies in the sector were up 35% month-on-month in September, the largest increase reported in the last twelve months. The annual comparison paints a similar picture, with jobs up 29% between September 2022 and September 2023.

According to the research, applications took a tumble last month, marking the lowest number of people applying for jobs this year so far, recording just over 62,000 applications. This is significantly down on the strong heights of June and July when figures topped the 100,000 mark each month.

Ann Swain, Global CEO of APSCo, said, “While we expect seasonal lulls and spikes in hiring in the education sector, the annual uptick in demand noted as the new academic year began shows that schools, Trusts and academies are already struggling with staff shortages. With applications tumbling as demand picks up, it seems that the talent crisis in education is set to remain an issue for some time to come.”