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Recruitment for engineering roles slows down in the run up to the general election

As the UK gears up for its fourth general election since 2010, increased economic uncertainty has led to a significant drop in job advertisements across the engineering sector.

In fact, according to data from UK’s job board, CV-Library, the number of advertisements fell by 12.2% month-on-month and a further 7.1% year-on-year. 

The findings, which explore job market data from November 2019 and compare this with the previous month and the same period in 2018, also reveal that despite this drop average salaries for engineering roles have increased by a whopping 27.9% month-on-month and a further 32.3% year-on-year. 

This paints a mixed picture, but does suggests that businesses are struggling to engage with new candidates, which is why wages have increased exponentially over the past 12 months.

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library, comments: “Engineering is at the heart of the UK economy and the general election. Labour promises to nationalise key engineering industries, while the Conservatives pledge an ‘infrastructure revolution’.

“Either way, the industry could look entirely different by the next election. In the face of such extraordinary political upheaval, the industry’s employers have no choice but to hold back on hiring new talent and this isn’t unusual at this time of year. 

“With the UK set to make a monumental decision in less than a fortnight and the fate of Brexit hanging in the balance, many organisations will be waiting for the dust to settle before moving forward with their hiring campaigns.

“But as we approach a typically busier period for recruitment, we hope to gain some clarity on how we will navigate through these tumultuous times.” 

Interestingly, it isn’t just employers putting on the brakes this month. In fact, applications to engineering roles also fell by 12.5% month-on-month; suggesting that the industry’s professionals are becoming increasingly reluctant to look for new roles. 

Lee Biggins continues: “It’s important to remember that while these numbers are certainly exacerbated by the current political climate, this time of year is usually quieter for recruitment across the board. Because of this, it’s a good time to take stock of where your company is currently at and start thinking about your future hiring needs.

“In doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re ready to recruit when the dust has settled after the general election and when many candidates will be looking for a change after the Christmas period.”

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