UK’s most sought-after job industries revealed

Data from over 15.4 million applications made by Brits sees construction and administration take top spots for the most sought after jobs industries.

New analysis of job application data in the UK reveals the industries that Brits are most keen to get a job within; with the administration, construction and engineering sectors featured in the top spots.

The research also looked at the industries that have become increasingly applied for in the first six months of the year across 17 UK cities, comparing application data from the same period in 2016.

Conducted by CV-Library, the research is comprised of data from over 8.2 million job applications made between January to June 2017.

Further analysis with average salary data from June 2017 suggests that higher wages have not influenced those sectors with increased job applications. In fact, the majority of popular industries boast similar wages to that of the UK average salary, £27,271, as reported by the ONS.

The sectors with increased job applications in London include:

1. Charity sector: Applications up 25 per cent with an average salary of £26,913
2. Management sector: Applications up 25 per cent with an average salary of £39,970
3. Telecoms sector: Applications up 23 per cent with an average salary of £35,461

The sectors with increased job applications in Manchester include:

1. Distribution sector: Applications up 52 per cent with an average salary of £28,186
2. Consulting sector: Applications up 29 per cent with an average salary of £39,514
3. Manufacturing/Surveying sector: Applications up 25 per cent with an average salary of £29,315

The sectors with increased job applications in Edinburgh include:

1. Customer Service sector: Applications up 66 per cent with an average salary of £21,825
2. Manufacturing/Surveying sector: Applications up 25 per cent with an average salary of £29,315
3. Personnel/Recruitment sector: Applications up 37 per cent with an average salary of £28,252

The sectors with increased job applications in Leeds include:

1. Management sector: Applications up 73 per cent with an average salary of £39,970
2. Social Care sector: Applications up 18 per cent with an average salary of £27,438
3. Manufacturing/Surveying sector: Applications up 13 per cent with an average salary of £29,315

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments, ‘Competition for jobs is definitely heating up and it’s clear that certain sectors are thriving in key cities across the UK. So, if you’re looking for a new role in any of these industries, it might be worth considering what you can do to stand out from the crowd and ensure your CV and cover letter really hit the mark when applying for roles.’

Further reading on jobs

Owen Gough, SmallBusiness UK

Owen Gough

Owen was a reporter for Bonhill Group plc writing across the Smallbusiness.co.uk and Growthbusiness.co.uk titles before moving on to be a Digital Technology reporter for the Express.co.uk.

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