Demand for professionals in the UK increased by 24% between 2017 and 2018 according to new research undertaken by data publisher  Vacancysoft  on behalf of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). 

APSCo’s research showed that Q1 and Q2 in 2018 saw the strongest growth with vacancies rising by 35% and 41% respectively. In contrast, demand for talent grew by just 6% in quarter four which APSCo said was ‘perhaps unsurprising’ given the increasing political turmoil and uncertainty surrounding Brexit which resulted in many employers taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to hiring in the latter months of the year.

The data also shows the top growth industries throughout 2018. Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) led the way with advertised roles rising by 24%, followed by Financial Services. The growth within the TMT sector is in keeping with the 2018 Tech Nation Report which found that the tech arena is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, worth almost £184 billion, up from £170 billion in 2016.

“It is clear that the upsurge in vacancies recorded throughout the past twelve months is a real indicator of the robust nature of the professional staffing sector,” Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo, said. “The latter months of 2018 saw many companies put the brakes on hiring due to Brexit uncertainty, however our conversations with members reveal that while caution is the order of the day, most are optimistic that the professional recruitment market will remain as resilient as ever throughout 2019.”

The figures also reveal the companies that advertised the most vacancies throughout 2018. Barclays Bank topped the list with 3,902 roles, representing an increase of 16% year-on-year, followed closely by HSBC which advertised 3,497 positions, up 11% from 2017. 

APSCo’s data also found that the top profession by vacancy numbers in 2018 was IT with demand up 28% year-on-year.  APSCo added that this is somewhat to be expected given the huge emphasis employers across all sectors have placed not only digitalisation, but also defending their organisation.  

APSCo’s data also looks at professional vacancies by region across England and Wales. Vacancy numbers in London were highest of all regions. The North West and the East Midlands saw advertised positions rising by 25% and 18% respectively.

James Chaplin, CEO of Vacancysoft, also commented, “Our data certainly paints an optimistic picture of the professional jobs market with impressive growth across not only several sectors, but also regions outside of the capital.  And while it would be remiss to suggest that Brexit won’t impact vacancy levels in some areas over the next few months, I have no doubt that several sectors will continue to perform exceptionally well.  The increased use of technology to combat cybercrime will no doubt mean that professionals with niche skills sets in this area will be in acute demand, for example.”