- HR & Recruitment had the biggest bounce back in jobs compared to July last year
- Job opportunities in HR & Recruitment swelled to more than triple the average increase for all sectors
- The Transport/ Logistics/ Warehouse industry saw the second highest increase
The HR & Recruitment industry has seen the greatest increase in job opportunities over the past year, new research has revealed.
The study, conducted by advertising experts N.Rich, analysed official job advertisement data from the ONS and Adzuna, comparing the year-on-year increase in job ads across 29 different industries between July 2020 and July 2021.
Results indicated that HR & Recruitment boasts an annual increase of 544% jobs advertised – more than three times the average increase for all UK industries (171%).
The Transport / Logistics / Warehouse industry has seen the second highest increase in job opportunities, with a 437% annual increase.
Rounding out the top three of highest annual increase of jobs advertised via Adzuna job boards were those for the Catering/ Hospitality industry, with a 425% improvement compared to the same date last year.
Other industries starting to recover include Manufacturing, which has a 420% annual increase in job adverts, putting it in fourth place. Fifth place belongs to the Marketing/ Advertising/ PR industry, with an annual increase in job adverts of 359%.
The lower half of the Top 10 features industries such as Management/ Exec/ Consulting industry (357% annual increase), Constructions/Trades (352%), and Admin/ Clerical/ Secretarial jobs (329% increase). Rounding off the top 10 are the Sales and Wholesale/Retail industries, with increases in job adverts of 292% and 290% respectively.
At the other end of the scale, Healthcare and Social Care saw the lowest increase in openings, going up by just 29% compared to a year previously, while Education also saw a relatively small rise of 52%.
Year-on-year comparison of job adverts across UK by industry – top 10, July 2020 – July 2021
| Industry | Year-on-Year percentage increase |
| 1. HR and Recruitment | 544.94% |
| 2. Transport/ Logistics/ Warehouse | 437.74% |
| 3. Catering and Hospitality | 425.21% |
| 4. Manufacturing | 420.93% |
| 5. Marketing/ Advertising/ PR | 359.00% |
| 6. Management/ Exec/ Consulting | 357.13% |
| 7. Construction/ Trades | 352.44% |
| 8. Admin/ Clerical/ Secretarial | 329.41% |
| 9. Sales | 292.32% |
| 10. Wholesale and Retail | 290.53% |
| Average across all industries | 171.8% |
In addition, the study analysed how job opportunities have changed across the UK’s regions, with the East of England seeing an increase of 242% when comparing the week commencing 16 July 2021 with the same week in 2020.
In second place is the North East with a 223% increase in job adverts, while third place belongs to the West Midlands with a 210% increase in jobs advertised.
London has seen the lowest increase in job opportunities by region compared to July last year, at 134%. North West comes in behind at 167%, followed by the South East with a 168% increase in job adverts.
Year-on-year comparison of job adverts across UK by region, July 2020 – July 2021
| UK Region | Year-on-Year percentage increase |
| 1. East of England | 242.1% |
| 2. North East | 223.2% |
| 3. West Midlands | 210.9% |
| 4. East Midlands | 205.7% |
| 5. Yorkshire and The Humber | 194% |
| 6. South West | 171.8% |
| 7. South East | 168.7% |
| 8, North West | 167.5% |
| 9. London | 134.2% |
| All Regions | 171.8% |
Year-on-year comparison of job adverts across UK by country, July 2020 – July 2021
| UK Region | Year-on-Year percentage increase |
| 1. Northern Ireland | 232.5% |
| 2. Wales | 180.6% |
| 3. England | 176.2% |
| 4. Scotland | 159.9% |
A spokesperson for N.Rich said, “It is exciting to see that a number of industries are recovering after a gruelling couple of years. It just goes to show that – despite fears of an economic downturn post lockdown – the UK job market remains resilient and robust.”
The study was conducted by N.Rich, which offers a rich array of intent data and ad inventory that enable marketers to drive awareness and lead generation effectively.