As the UK gears up for its fourth general election since 2010, increased economic uncertainty has led to a significant drop in job advertisements across the education industry. In fact, according to data from the UK’s leading job board, CV-Library, the number of advertisements fell by 4.9% month-on-month and a further 1.6% year-on-year.
The findings, which explore job market data from November 2019 and compare this with the previous month and the same period in 2018, also reveal that while the number of jobs on offer are down, average salaries for these roles have increased by a slight 1.3% year-on-year.
Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library, comments: “We know that the country is facing a massive teacher shortage and this has only been worsened by the fact that the government missed its targets for secondary school teacher recruitment for the seventh year in a row. Clearly, this is causing the industry’s employers to feel cautious about their hiring efforts, though this isn’t unusual at this time of year.
“With the sector facing ongoing skills shortages, the marginal increase in pay will do little to encourage people who are on the fence about starting a career in education.. As we approach a typically busier period for recruitment, we hope to gain some clarity on how we will navigate through these tumultuous times.”
Interestingly, it isn’t just employers putting on the brakes this month. In fact, applications to education jobs also fell by 17.9% in November, with the industry experiencing the second highest drop in this area.
Lee Biggins continues: “It’s important to remember that while these numbers are certainly exacerbated by the current political climate, this time of year is usually quieter for recruitment across the board. Because of this, it’s a good time to take stock of where your company is currently at and start thinking about your future hiring needs. In doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re ready to recruit when the dust has settled after the general election and when many candidates will be looking for a change after the Christmas period.”
