Engineering vacancies continue to rise

Recent figures show that the number of engineering job vacancies in the UK has risen constantly over the last 15 months.

The report, carried out by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) using data provided by Broadbean Technology, also revealed a rise in application numbers for the sector.

When comparing figures from Q1 2022 with Q4 2021, both the number of vacancies and applications increased by nearly 20% and 22% respectively.

Salaries also saw slight growth in the first half of 2022.

Ann Swain, 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 amidst 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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