Hiring in the capital reaches record figures

An all-time monthly high has been reported as hiring in London continues to rise with over 20,000 vacancies published in October.

The research, compiled by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) using data provided by Vacancysoft, revealed that firms in the capital have published over 171,400 vacancies in 2021 to date, surpassing 2020’s total by 76%.

Demand for IT specialists was particularly high, with London companies publishing over 54,600 new jobs for these professionals, accounting for 30.4% of all vacancies in 2021.

Ann Swain, CEO of APSCo, said, “The capital is continuing to show incredible signs of recovery after a difficult 2020. With a record month of vacancies reported in October and job numbers continuing to climb for the second half of the year, London looks set to end 2021 on a high, setting the staffing sector up for a strong start for next year.

“As businesses continue to adapt to a more permanent shift to hybrid working, demand for IT specialists has naturally risen and looks set to continue to grow in the immediate future.

“What will certainly remain a concern, however, is the availability of skills. Staff shortages have been rapidly growing as the entire UK economy begins to recover from the pandemic. Combine the less-than-desirable immigration route into the UK for highly skilled professionals with the rollout of Off Payroll rules, and it’s unsurprising that so many staffing firms are struggling to meet employer demand.”

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