Online job adverts

Job ads give an insight into the health of business. At the start of the pandemic most sectors took a big hit and recruitment fell sharply. Since then some sectors have recovered to pre-pandemic levels of recruitment (e.g. construction, transport), while others continue to suffer (unsurprisingly catering and hospitality).

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted recruitment in the UK. At the introduction of the first lockdown in March 2020, firms across every sector were understandably cautious and scaled back recruitment.

As the pandemic progressed, some industries fared better than others, as reflected by recruitment levels. Sectors such as construction and transport & logistics rebounded strongly, and are now recruiting at levels higher than before the pandemic began. 

Other sectors have not been so fortunate. Unsurprisingly, catering and hospitality has suffered more than most sectors due to lockdown restrictions. As the majority of venues remain closed, recruitment fell by around 80% at the first lockdown and has remained roughly at these levels ever since. 

Retail and wholesale jobs also suffered as a consequence of lockdown. Job adverts in the sector declined sharply in March 2020. Although the industry recovered somewhat as the year progressed, the most recent lockdown has again curtailed recruitment.