In the second quarter of 2018, there were 14% more job listings than in the same period a year previously, according to the Cpl Employment Market Monitor 2018 Q2.

This is the second quarter in a row with year-on-year growth, following three quarters of declines, and the rate of growth is the strongest since the final quarter of 2014

The Cpl Employment Market Monitor is based on data from the Cpl Jobs Index and refers to the total number of employment opportunities in the following four sectors: IT & Telecoms; Science, Engineering & Supply Chain; Sales & Marketing; and Accountancy, Finance & Banking. In the second quarter of 2018, there were 2,787 jobs posted in the four sectors mentioned.

In Science, Engineering & Supply Chain, there was a return to growth, following four quarters of decline, with 21% more jobs than a year previously. There were strong rates of growth jobs also in Accountancy, Finance & Banking (14%) and in IT (16%). In Sales & Marketing, however, there was a year-on-year fall of 10%.

Cpl’s monitor also surveyed employers and jobseekers to rate, on a five-point scale, whether the market is an employer’s one (-2) or a jobseeker’s one (+2). The overall reading for jobseekers (-0.2, i.e. a market slightly in favour of employers) is the strongest on record and compares to a reading of -1.0 just two years ago.

Meanwhile, Cpl Resources’ data also found that 57% of employees would still put a pay rise ahead of flexible working options. The new generation of workers are thought to value a work life balance over monetary gains but this may not always be the case. Moreover, flexi time is still struggling to be universally accepted, with over 45% of employees admitting that there is a stigma attached to it.

 Cpl Resources also found that almost 70% of workers admit to being bored at work.