Job applications grow by 33.9% in Q3 as end of Job Retention Scheme looms

According to the latest quarterly job market report from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, job applications grew by 33.9% in Q3 2020 and by 9.2% year-on-year.  

The report looks at job market data throughout Q3 2020 and compares this with findings from the previous year. It reveals that the following industries saw the highest growth in applications quarter-on-quarter:  

1. Administration (up 90.2%) 
2. Recruitment (up 85.5%) 
3. Marketing (up 78.6%)  
4. Sales (up 77.7%)  
5. Telecoms (up 74.6%)  
6. Legal (up 61.5%) 
7. Finance (up 58.6%)  
8. Education (up 51.5%)  
9. Electronics (up 46.9%)  
10. Construction (up 44.5%)  

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library said, “It’s no surprise that there are more candidates on the market given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the state of our economy. While the circumstances around this influx of talent are unfortunate, it provides a great opportunity for businesses to snag top talent.”   

The data also reveals that the number of job postings has increased by 79.1% between Q2 and Q3 2020. However, the number of roles advertised between July and September is still a massive 30.4% lower than at the start of the year.  

What’s more, as vacancies continued to rise during Q3, the number of applications per vacancy dropped by 25.2%. However, this is still 78.8% higher than during the same period last year.  

Biggins added, “This data clearly shows that the UK job market has started to recover from the national lockdown in March, but we still have a long way to go. However, it’s likely that this new found confidence may be short lived.  

“The uncertainty surrounding future government restrictions, as well as those put in place last week will force businesses to put a freeze on their hiring plans. Sadly, this will coincide with the end of the original Job Retention Scheme, which may spell bad news for professionals.  

“That said, if you’re planning on hiring this quarter, you’re likely to have your pick of the best candidates on the market. However, be sure to approach your hiring process with sensitivity as this will be a particularly difficult time for job seekers.”