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The number of people applying for low-skilled jobs in the UK is falling at a fast rate, according to the latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Human Resources firm Adecco.

The Labour Market Outlook for June 2019 took into consideration more than 2,000 Human Resources professionals and senior decision-makers at UK companies and found that, on average, there are now only 16 applications made for each low-skilled vacancy.

That figure is down 20 per cent from the same time last year (20 average applicants per job) and 33 per cent on 2017 (24 average applicants per job).

The authors of the report suggested that at least some of the decline could be due to falling net migration from the European Union since the 2016 Brexit vote.

Offering a few words of advice to recruiters who are struggling to fill their low-skilled job vacancies, the president of staffing and solutions at Adecco Group for UK and Ireland, Alex Fleming, said:

“In our tightening labour market, ensuring businesses have the right supply of talent isn’t a new issue and during these uncertain times the ‘grow your own’ mentality has become more important than ever for organisations. Workforce planning comes into play again as organisations need to be constantly looking forward and anticipating their future needs and training their own talent accordingly.”

“Planning ahead for workforce strategies is a long-term solution that now needs to be addressed more urgently than ever so the labour market can thrive with the right talent in place.”

“Conversely, in the shorter-term, imaginative recruitment strategies are also needed to find the right kind of skill sets to bring into organisations, for example unlocking hidden pools of talent can hold considerable value for employers and should be seriously considered as an important source,” added Mr Fleming.

Senior labour market adviser for the CIPD, Gerwyn Davies, also commented, saying: “The alarm bell is sounding for employers trying to fill low-skill roles, many of whom are still in wait-and-see mode. It’s essential that those employers are prepared for reduced numbers of candidates and further restrictions to low-skill labour planned from 2021 with a workforce plan.”

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