Vacancies in engineering continue to grow – and so do applications, according to trade body
06 July 2022
Ann-Swain-CEO-at-APSCo
The number of engineering job vacancies have risen consistently over the past 15 months, with the first half of 2022 also revealing an encouraging uptick in application numbers for the sector, according to recent research from recruitment trade body, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).
The data, provided by the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology, revealed that, when comparing data from Q1 2022 with Q4 2021, both the number of job vacancies and applications increased by nearly 20% and 22% respectively. This uptick in application numbers is a promising sign for a sector that has historically faced a dearth of talent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, salaries also edged up slightly in the first half of 2022, which suggests many employers are using financial incentives as a top talent attraction tool.
Across the regions, Greater London holds the majority of the engineering vacancies, recording over 5,000 jobs for the year so far, with the West Midlands taking second place with over 2,000 jobs. West Yorkshire, Hampshire, South Yorkshire and Bristol closely followed, all recording in excess of 1,000 jobs each. The top two regions have relatively strong candidate numbers, with APV (applications per vacancy) rates of 23 and 22, followed by Greater Manchester (21). And while Middlesbrough achieved an impressive top score of 35 applications per vacancy, job numbers in these two locations were fairly small.
Ann Swain, founder & CEO of APSCo commented: “It’s extremely promising to see that application numbers in engineering are increasing, but our data does suggest that the best talent is coming at a cost, with salaries also rising. However, as the demand for engineers continues to grow amid a cost-of-living crisis and concerns of a recession, this reliance on financial incentives isn’t sustainable. While actions such as upskilling existing staff, hiring from wider talent pools to boost diversity and increasing the number of women in engineering will all be key in helping to narrow skill shortages, greater support from our government is needed to help make the UK’s employment market globally competitive and fit for purpose in the current economic landscape.”
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