Research by totaljobs.com has revealed that jobseeker confidence has soared in the past twelve months, with the number of unemployed confident in finding a job in the next year jumping from 51% in 2011 to 64%. The percentage of unemployed people out of work for longer than 12 months has fallen by 2 per cent, to 16 per cent, and the corresponding rise in the number of jobseekers who believe they¹ll find work within the year suggests jobseekers feel reinvigorated and hopefully, not over-confident.
The decrease in the number of long-term unemployed can be, in part, put down to the flexibility of jobseekers: 70% of those surveyed are prepared to take a job they¹re over-qualified for; 43% said they would accept pay-cuts; and 63% are willing to take on part-time work. The research suggests that jobseekers are willing to compromise to meet the demands of a stagnant labour market.
Not only are jobseekers becoming more flexible in their employment needs but they are also modernising their approach. 52% search for jobs using their mobile phone, up 20% on last year, and 72% of tablet users use their device to apply for work, suggesting that more are jobseeking on the go. The totaljobs.com mobile website has also seen a dramatic increase in users, with almost 1.7 million visits from mobiles in June 2012, up 134% year-on-year.
John Salt, website director, totaljobs.com says of the findings: ³Despite the fact the UK is in a double dip recession, many jobseekers are starting to see some glimmers of hope amongst the gloom of the ongoing economic crisis. The recruitment market is feeling rejuvenated, with UK plc and jobseekers finally waking up to the need to be flexible, and businesses are now willing to accommodate part-time work to retain good staff or cut costs.
At the same time, we are witnessing a change in how people look for work with the rise of the techno-jobseekers¹, who are increasingly integrating jobseeking into their daily routine, with half of jobseekers using their mobile phones to search for work, and a third of these doing so several times a day. This provides a marker as to how jobseeking is changing in today¹s market as well as how those that are unemployed need to innovate to stay ahead.²
Regional outlook
Confidence across some UK regions remains significantly worse, with strong differences outlined between the north and south. One in five of all jobseekers in the north of England (17%) are unsure they¹ll be employed within the next 12 months.
By contrast jobseekers in London appear much more confident in finding employment within the next 12 months, as 68% of jobseekers are confident they will find employment within the next year.
John Salt explains why these regions have been so badly affected:
³The collapse of the heavy industries has hit areas such as the north east hard, which combined with the demise of the public sector in the north west, means any job creation in these parts of the country will require a huge amount of investment structurally, in order to make these areas more appealing to the private sector.
The north/south divide within the labour market is even reflective in the rise of techno-jobseeker. The depressed labour market in the north has meant jobseekers in the region are innovating earlier, with 57% of jobseekers in the north-west and Yorkshire using their mobile to search for jobs, compared to 48% in the south east.
Credit: onrec.com
