The number of total advertised job vacancies in the UK fell 2.3% in August compared to the same time last year according to the latest UK Job Market report from Adzuna.

The report suggests that the fewer vacancies are due to the summer season and Brexit cautions.

August saw 1,123,365 job vacancies being advertised, 27,000 fewer than a year ago. However, the report also shows that hiring is 0.6% higher than six months ago.

“Jobseekers looking to move into a new role are facing a slightly slimmer array of options,” Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna, said. “Hiring has certainly not ground to a halt as many predicted after Brexit, however, with more than a million openings on the market this is a seasonal suspension, not a long-term lull. Working options provided by the gig economy are growing in popularity, while skilled workers in shortage areas like tech and engineering are hot property.”

Furthermore, the report showed that advertised salaries rose for the first time in five months in August. The average salary stands at £32,784, up 0.3% from £32,688 in July. This marks the first salary rise since February 2016, and could signal the beginnings of a return to employers investing more to attract the best talent in the workforce.

“It’s too early to sound a fanfare for the return of salary growth with wages still far below pre-recession levels, but jobseekers are seeing a modest salary boost,” Monro said. “Inflation is expected to rise, so higher starting salaries will be critical to maintain real wages. The upcoming Autumn Statement is an opportunity for the new Chancellor to show his support for employers, boost confidence and herald a return to wage growth. He should encourage companies to invest in hiring and keep momentum building.”

The number of jobseekers per vacancy has remained at a consistent level of 0.49, as competition for jobs within the UK has seen no major fluctuations despite Brexit cautions.

Table 1: UK Vacancies, jobseekers per vacancies and advertised UK salary

Meanwhile, in the consultancy sector, average advertised vacancies currently stand at 12,441, up 5% from 11,857 in July 2016, and up 10% from 2015. In addition, average consultancy salaries have reached £47,760, up 8.9% year-on year, as employers are preparing to buffer themselves against the potential shortage of skilled workers following the EU referendum.

Other sectors showing year-on-year salary growth include Maintenance (+12.1%), Property (+7.9%), PR (+4.0%) and IT (+2.0%).  

The report showed a difference in competition for jobs across the UK. The Northern Ireland region hosts the highest ratio of jobseekers to available vacancies at 8.39, as well as the lowest average salary at £28,134.

In comparison, the South East of England has four jobs on offer for every jobseeker (a ratio of 0.25 jobseekers per vacancy) and the second highest average salary of £31,817, second only to London.

“Stark differences exist in the hiring environment across the UK, meaning many savvy jobseekers are moving across the country in search of work,” Monro said. Southern England is leagues ahead of much of the UK in terms of offering more jobs and larger pay packets. Regions like Northern Ireland are seeing their best talent draining away as companies fail to compete on pay. The job hunters left behind often don’t have the skills suited to fulfil the roles open, so upskilling jobseekers in these regions is necessary to meet demand.”

Belfast continues to be the worst city in the UK to secure a job with 5.42 jobseekers per each advertised vacancy, up 33% from 4.05 jobseekers per each advertised vacancy in July.