It’s tempting to think things are all bad out there, and that the labour market is a complete disaster, but the facts are telling a different story.
Despite the current environment of doom-laden tech and banking layoffs, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the UK unemployment rate in the most recent period (October to December 2022) was estimated at 3.7 percent. While that is very slightly higher at 0.1 percent than the previous three-month period, when accessed over a longer period, it is actually 0.2 percent below pre-coronavirus levels.
And, according to a recent Emerging Jobs report, there are a number of “jobs on the rise”, as a direct response to changing consumer behaviour and business needs. Discover five of those below, along with some great open roles in London.
This is a sector that surged during the pandemic as we shopped and ordered food to beat the band. It is now one of the main areas seeing the most jobs being shed. Thousands of ecommerce workers from package handlers and delivery drivers are being culled as demand settles back to pre-pandemic levels.
However, despite falling growth rates this year, as a whole the industry is on the rise. The ecommerce share of retail sales is expected to increase to 20.8 percent this year, with a further increase to 24 percent by 2026.
The financial services sector accounts for 12 percent of UK economic output, and financial roles, from investment specialists to treasurers, grew by 82 percent in 2020, according to the Emerging Jobs report. Economic headwinds since have seen 15,000 jobs being cut in the UK at banks including Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of New York Mellon.
Analysts say this is partly due to over-hiring during the pandemic, and there are still growth opportunities to be had. Additionally, the financial sector is due to provide a blueprint to help accelerate London’s role as a post-Brexit global financial centre by 2030.
The jobs report also found that finance had the most remote job openings, and that finance specialists are in high demand. Other growth roles include investment banking specialist, finance specialist, treasurer, equity trader and financial services professional.
If you’re looking for a new opportunity in this area, American Express is hiring a Manager-Finance in London. This is an opportunity to work on financial and planning activities associated with the international product portfolio, and you will also be involved in profitability analysis and strategy for International Card Services-wide initiatives to maintain best in class products that drive value to customers and shareholders.
Unsurprisingly, Social Media and Digital Marketing roles grew by 52 percent in 2020, as companies bake social into their overall strategies due to its abilities to connect, inform, convert sales and perform important employer brand functions.
Emerging roles such as growth hacker and growth specialist are on the rise, focusing on how companies can leverage lower-cost, innovative alternatives to traditional marketing. According to the jobs report, this is a category that interests the younger demographic most, with an average age of 28. Additionally, in 2020, 68 percent of total hires were female.
Software development has long been considered recession-proof, and demand for skilled programmers remains high. Statistics released from the (ONS) found that the skilled sector, which includes tech workers, is struggling to fill roles. An overall growth in the number of open roles in 2022 was 76 percent higher compared with 2020.
In demand are game designers and game developer roles as the UK games sector hit record size during the pandemic. Additionally, big data engineer, software architect, blockchain engineer, DevOps engineer, cloud architect and full-stack developer roles are all seeing growth.
Barclays has an opening for a Front Office IT Developer in London, where you will be involved in the design, maintenance and enhancement of data analytic applications/tools, while helping the front office IT team deliver support to exotics traders. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is interested in data science/data analytics, and who understands how risk data and market data is being used by trading and other functions.
In 2022, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was launched to encourage innovation and investment in the sector. The government also says that expenditure on AI technologies could increase to between £27.2 billion and £35.6 billion by 2025.
With generative AI tools such as ChatGPT driving mainstream adoption of AI tools, it is not surprising that roles in the area are growing. The scope is huge and not limited to the tech sector: expect to see jobs opening up across healthcare, education, retail and beyond.
If you are a results-driven Business Development Manager with a hunger for driving sales and generating new business, eClerx is seeking your skills. In this role, you will be responsible for driving sales of AI technology products to clients across various industries and will develop and execute sales strategies for eClerx AI technology products, with a focus on generating business from new companies.
For more high-paying jobs, visit The London Economic Job Board today
