Job application rates in the UK rose by 15% in October when compared to the previous month, according to data from job site CV-Library.

The data found that that application rates outpaced job growth last month for the first time since January, with job vacancies rising by 11.6% compared to the 15% increase in application rates.

CV-Library found that the Hospitality sector showed the biggest increase in applications with a 33.9% increase in October. This was followed by Design (31.6%) and Agriculture (25.9%).

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, commented, “The New Year often inspires people to set goals and take on new challenges, including looking for an exciting new job opportunity. This has clearly already started and the increase in applications should provide reassurance to employers that may be struggling to fill their roles. If you’re looking to expand your team, now could be the perfect time.”

CV-Library’s data also found that candidate registrations to CV-Library were up by 10.4% month-on-month. The data also found that while salaries have risen consistently over the past few months, average pay for new jobs fell by 2.2% in October.