Quarterly job applications decline, but CV registrations in skill-short sectors rise

The latest quarterly data from CV-Library reveals an increase in UK professionals registering their CV in the most skill-short sectors, whilst applications to those jobs continues to decline.

Overall, the number of jobseekers registering their CV on the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, were up 5% on the last quarter across all industries, however sectors with the biggest rise in CV registrations may come as a surprise:

Driving +40.1%

Transport and logistics +36.7%

Counselling +30.1%

Home working +25.8%

Teaching +18.6%

The number of jobs posted across the UK continues to break records and exceed any previous levels, up a further +10% when compared to the last three-month period. However, candidates aren’t applying for these jobs.

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder comments: “We’ve known about the narrative of record job postings, a decline in applications and skills shortages for some time, but to see an uplift in candidate registrations and within the roles with the biggest deficits, gives new insight into the problems facing the UK job market. With increasing volumes of people registering their CV over the last quarter, there is a clear discrepancy between the expectations from jobseekers and employers.”

Biggins continues: “Candidates could be expecting higher salaries than businesses are willing to pay. Flexible working is also a sticking point with businesses not offering the levels candidates desire. There are multiple other factors at play here, but until candidates and businesses meet somewhere in the middle, these issues will not only remain, but the gap will widen further.”