Engineering employers hold back on hiring, despite application rates soaring

According to the latest data from the UK independent job board,  CV-Library, businesses in the engineering industry were reluctant to hire last month, with job numbers dropping by 1.1% year-on-year; compared to a 2.8% increase nationally.  

Despite this, the study, which explores job market data from January 2020 and compares this with findings from the same period in 2019, reveals that application rates grew by 11.1% across the engineering industry; nearly twice as more than the national average (5.7%).  

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of  CV-Library comments: “Our data suggests that the looming Brexit deadline may have held engineering businesses back last month, despite having access to a wider talent pool. While it’s typically a busy period for hiring, the drop in job vacancies suggests that the sector’s organisations have yet to regain their trust in the UK economy.” 

Interestingly, the data also reveals that salaries rose by 5.3%; offering some explanation for the surge in applications, despite the lull in vacancies.  

Lee Biggins continues: “While increased pay may have encouraged more applications in the engineering sector, it doesn’t mean that businesses can rest on their laurels when it comes to hiring. As our departure from the EU is finalised over the coming months, competition for the top candidates will only intensify. 

“In order to stand out from other companies, employers across the sector should focus on refining their entire hiring process. Take the time to improve your job postings, invest in the best hiring tools and start the search for your next hire, now.”