More people applying for engineering jobs, as pay and jobs rise

Despite ongoing economic and political uncertainty, engineering professionals appear to be pushing forward with their job search, with applications for new jobs jumping up by 20.8% last month. That’s according to CV-Library, the UK independent job board.

The findings, which compare job market data from September 2019 with the same period in 2018, reveal that there were 5.5% more engineering jobs on offering during this period, though this figure dropped by 3.9% month-on-month.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “This underlying job market growth is certainly surprising given the uncertainty amid Boris Johnson’s unlawful decision to suspend parliament. 

“However, despite the Brexit mess we find ourselves in, we know that September is usually a busy month for hiring, which could explain why employers are feeling confident and why the market has experienced such a boom.

“According to the findings, engineering pay jumped up by 3.8% year-on-year, bringing the average salary for new engineering jobs up to £36,509 per annum. This figure was also a 1.1% increase on August. 

Biggins continues: “Companies across the sector are showing their mettle in abnormal hiring conditions and are continuing to defy expectations by pushing forward with their recruitment efforts. That said, organisations should be cautious of constantly pushing up pay as it might not be sustainable in the long run.

“While the job market is strong and it’s a popular time to search for a job, employers shouldn’t relax and rest on their laurels. The Brexit deadline is looming and there’s certainly a bigger issue at hand.”