Professional job availability across the Midlands region in the UK remains strong, with Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester creating plenty of opportunities within region, according to new data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), based on research undertaken by Vacancysoft.

The research found that demand for professionals across the region was up 15%, with vacancies rising by 22% in the East Midlands and by 10% in the West Midlands.

In Birmingham, the technology, media & telecoms sector is helping to drive professional job growth, with openings up 24% year-on-year in May 2019.

The data also found that job creation was significant in the professional services sector, with demand increasing by 10% in Birmingham. As such, it has overtaken financial services as the leading sector for employment.

Within Nottingham, the consumer goods & services sector was found to be the fastest growing in the city, with vacancies increasing by 33% year-on-year in May 2019. The technology, media & telecoms sector saw vacancies increase by 23%. In contrast, demand for talent within financial services dipped by 4%.

In Leicester, consumer goods & services was found to be the leading sector for professional employment, with vacancies up 38% year-on-year in May 2019. Vacancies rose by 30% in the technology, media & telecoms sector, and by 20% in the industrial engineering sector.

In contrast, there was a decline in roles within financial services, with job opportunities decreasing by 77%. Much of this overall fall can be attributed to a 278% decrease in roles at banking and financial services giant HSBC.

Julie Selby, Membership Relations Manager at APSCo, commented, “The trend across all three cities, is growth in demand within the Technology, Media & Telecoms sector. Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester are all gaining traction as innovative cities to invest in due to their rich talent pools of high-skilled professionals.”

Selby added that the ongoing political uncertainty has impacted certain sectors, such as automotive.