David Morel, CEO, Tiger Recruitment, comments on the latest employment statistics
The latest ONS data for the period February to April 2021 shows that the jobs market is finally in recovery. For the first time since December 2019 to February 2020, the employment rate increased whilst April vacancies neared their pre-pandemic levels. This is hugely encouraging and bodes well for the future.
Of course, these figures are in the past but the experience of my own business suggests that this upward trend is set to continue.
In May, we have taken on the highest number of new permanent business support roles since the start of the pandemic. The hospitality sector is particularly buoyant as indoor venues open up again and currently the demand for staff is outstripping supply.
Temporary business support hiring is also picking up and we expect the pace of recovery to increase as offices start to go back and business travel resumes.
Looking ahead, the Indian variant is a cause for concern but as long we avoid any further national lockdowns, I see a bright outlook for the jobs market.