Yorkshire set for New Year hiring boom as employers face skills shortages

YORKSHIRE is set for a New Year hiring boom as a skills shortage continues to cause headaches for many employers, according to a new study from recruitment company, the Manpower Group.
Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UKMark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK
Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK

The New Year should provide plenty of opportunities for skilled engineers who are looking for their next career move.

The Manpower Group’s net employment outlook – which assesses the hiring intentions of employers – is up nine points in Yorkshire and the Humber, the biggest rise in the country, to +8 per cent.

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The employment outlook survey is based on responses from 2,104 UK employers. Manpower asked employers whether they intended to hire extra workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the next quarter. Amanda White, the operations manager at Manpower, said: “After a difficult end to 2016, the region’s job seekers can be optimistic about the New Year.

“In Leeds, for example, we’re seeing demand for talent in engineering, manufacturing, chemicals and automotive maintenance.”

“The picture is less rosy for employers,’’ she added. “They are facing a real shortage of suitable candidates, and those that are qualified are often older and nearing retirement.

“Job seekers are increasingly conscious of their value and aren’t afraid to move location or sector to find a well-paid job.

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“For example, we’re seeing lots of heavy transport vehicle (HTV) technicians moving into other sectors like manufacturing, which can offer more money and a better work-life balance.”

The national seasonally adjusted net employment outlook has risen to +7 per cent for the first three months of 2017, which is the highest level of optimism in three years.

Across the country, the private sector plans to hire at its highest rate in three years (+8 per cent), with the construction (+9 per cent), business services (+9 per cent) and utilities (+13 per cent) sectors all reporting “very positive outlooks”, according to Manpower.

Mark Cahill, the Manpower Group UK managing director, said: “UK companies are going into 2017 hungry for top talent. Employers are still unsure about what exactly Brexit will mean, but they are not letting that uncertainty deter them from hiring.

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“In fact, some employers may be looking to bring in talent while they can before any curbs to freedom of movement across the European Union come into effect, as more than half of all the jobs created by UK employers this year went to EU workers.”

All 12 regions of the UK reported positive outlooks for the first three months of the year, with only two regions reporting a decline in hiring optimism.

The East is the most positive region (+10 per cent), followed by London (+9 per cent). Yorkshire and the Humber joins the East Midlands, West Midlands, South West and Scotland on +8 per cent. Northern Ireland reported a five point rise to +4 per cent, while the North East and South East both reported two point rises to +7 per cent and + 5 per cent respectively.