Number of hard-to-fill job roles rises in April-May 2022

According to the latest data from Job Market Insights, the number of hard-to-fill roles in the UK rose sharply in April and May 2022.

Job Market Insights combined data from all major employment websites, jobs boards and portals to produce its latest report. The findings were no surprise to any recruiter or employer struggling to hire so far this year.

The number of vacancies that were marked as ‘challenging’ to fill increased by a huge 51% month-on-month. These were roles that had been posted on paid jobs sites multiple times, with a gap of at least two weeks in between.

At the same time, the number of unique job ads stabilised – although they remain at a historically high level. Even a dip in December 2021 was 40% more than the job ads listed at the same time in 2020. The figures for May 2022 show that the number of new job roles posted comfortably exceeded 1 million.

Which sectors are struggling the most with hard-to-fill roles? 

The Job Market Insights report also broke down its findings by industry, showing which UK sectors have the most hard-to-fill roles. At the top of the list were:

• Healthcare
• IT and telecommunications
• Hospitality and catering
• Administration
• Construction and Real Estate.

However, there is a glimmer of positive news for the healthcare sector at least. Nurses have dropped out of the top ten ‘hardest to fill’ roles for the first time in two years, suggesting the slightest easing of pressure on the UK’s health sector.

On the rise though is demand for delivery drivers, sales assistants and cleaners. The retail sector has also seen demand for staff rise since April.

Starting salaries on the rise 

As might be expected in an intensely competitive market, employers are pulling out all the stops to secure the best candidates. In many sectors, this means higher pay.

The Jobs Market Insights data showed that starting salaries could be on the rise in the UK. The report found that the number of jobs being offered with a salary of £20,000 to £40,000 increased to almost 50% in the first part of 2022. This is a noticeable increase compared to growth of 45% for the same salary band in the same period in 2021.

The number of job roles advertising salaries below £20,000 fell to 26%, compared to 32% in the previous period.

The biggest starting salary rise was in IT and telecommunications, which saw the most growth in salaries over £100,000. IT jobs exceeding this salary band made up around 13% of all job ads.

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