Jobs

2024 ‘one of the toughest years for job hunters yet’

2024 is proving to be one of the toughest years for job hunters yet, new research has shown.

Advertised vacancies fell again in April to 862,294, down -0.46 per cent monthly on March 17.41 per cent annually.

This is the fifth consecutive monthly decline and comes as the number of people out of work rose to 4.2 per cent, the highest recorded in six months.

Hardest hit sectors

Jobs across PR, Advertising and Marketing were hit hardest, dropping by -11.09 per cent in the past month, as companies are scaling back marketing spend.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of a prolonged housebuilding slump, Trade and Construction vacancies fell by -8.24 per cent.

This has left overall job figures down -17.41 per cent compared to the same time last year, the latest UK Job Market Report by job search engine Adzuna shows.

Which sectors are bucking the trend?

That said, significant increases in several fast-growing sectors are helping to lessen the blow and mask these declines somewhat.

Travel roles, for example, were up +16.27 per cent in March, while Manufacturing vacancies rose by +6.09 per cent, following news that companies such as Aston Martin are creating new manufacturing roles across the country – both lifting the month-on-month average.

At the same time, the average advertised salaries continue to rise, up +0.41 per cent in March to £38,638, and up +2.95 per cent annually.

This is to be expected with wages often lagging behind labour market slack.

However, there are early signs that wage growth is easing, as March’s annual growth isn’t as rapid as in February 2024 (+3.01 per cent).

This is good news for borrowers who are anticipating the Bank of England to cut interest rates later this year.

Where are the best cities to look for jobs?

For job hunters, the best cities to look for roles are Cambridge, Guildford and Exeter – the same three cities as last month. Cambridge has 7,449 vacancies and around 0.33 jobseekers for every role.

Bradford continues to be the most difficult city to find work, with 20,180 jobseekers competing for 2,624 jobs, which means there are around 7.69 jobseekers per role. This is followed by Rochdale (5.21) and Middlesbrough (4.12).

If you’re looking for a leadership position in retail or any other industry, then you can discover thousands of roles on the The London Economic Job Board. Explore three jobs that are currently on offer below. 

Head of Finance, Origin Coffee, London

Joining the Origin Coffee senior management team, the Head of Finance will play a pivotal role in managing financial performance, and will serve as an integral cornerstone. You will meticulously oversee all financial functions, partner with department leads to support them continuously with the right numbers when they need them, and with clear business plans and ways of tracking progress. 

You’ll need a proven technical background to drive robust and accurate reporting across many stakeholders, and you will take full responsibility for production of both the management accounts and board report to be presented each month.

To apply, you’ll need ACA, ACCA, or an equivalent qualification in finance or accounting. A proven track record in senior-level financial management roles, preferably within the retail or FMCG sectors is also required, as is strong leadership and team management abilities, plus an in-depth knowledge of financial regulations, accounting standards, and compliance requirements. See more requirements here.

Senior Quantitative Finance Manager, Bank of America, London

This Senior Quantitative Finance Manager role is based in London, and sits within Bank of America’s Market Risk Analytics group, which is responsible for providing quantitative and analytics support. Your responsibilities will involve developing quantitative risk models, analytics and applications in support of market risk assessment and regulatory capital calculation.

You’ll also perform analysis for VaR/RNiV model development, documentations/submissions and aid in addressing required action items raised by model risk, issues from regulators, audit and model performance tests. Plus, you will perform statistical analysis on market historical data and model parameters and develop and support benchmarking and back testing. 

A PhD (preferred) or MSc degree in quantitative fields such as financial engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science, or equivalent, is necessary, as is experience in developing FO pricing models or market risk models, and advanced programming skills in Python. Get full details here.

VP, Finance & Accounting – EMEA Music, Wasserman, London

Wasserman is a global leader in sports, music, entertainment and culture, operating globally across 27 countries and in more than 62 cities. It is currently looking for a VP, Finance and Accounting to join the music team in London.

You’ll be responsible for providing financial and management services to Wasserman’s EMEA Music division to ensure an efficient, accurate and timely financial and management and client accounting function. Ensuring alignment with US reporting requirements and instigating systems and processes to deliver timely information. Delivering an excellent standard of client service, compliance with external regulatory and reporting obligations, internal management reporting processes and deadlines is required, as is seven or more years’ PQE with a recognised UK professional qualification (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) or overseas equivalent or equivalent expertise in a similar role. Apply for this job today.

Accelerate your job hunt today by visiting The London Economic Job Board

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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