Job applications more than halve in engineering

The engineering sector has continued to feel the impact of economic uncertainty and skills shortages with vacancies and applications plummeting. That’s according to new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies.

The data – provided by the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology – revealed that permanent jobs fell in December last year, down 37 per cent month-on-month, with contract vacancies dropping 33 per cent. While this indicates a seasonal decline in hiring, the levels were the lowest vacancy numbers reported over the 12 months.

Although a drop in vacancies will also impact applications, the number of people actively applying for engineering jobs saw a far greater decline last month, with permanent applications down 55 per cent. With the level of contract applications also dropping 57 per cent, APSCo has warned of a growing skills gap in the sector.

“While we expect to see vacancies and, subsequently applications, decline towards the end of the year, the falls reported in engineering are concerning. The UK has battled skills shortages in the sector for some time. While a slowdown in recruitment eases some of the pressures on talent pools, the drop in applications – particularly in contract roles – suggests there is a tightening of the labour market. The first quarter of 2024 will be a telling time for the strength of engineering recruitment and we expect to see demand slowly pick up once again,” comments Ann Swain, Global CEO of APSCo.