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Engineering professionals are remaining confident in the face of ongoing uncertainty, as the industry saw an influx of job applications in October.
That’s according to the latest data from CV-Library, the UK independent job site, which found that application rates across the sector increased by a 12.1% when compared with data from September 2017.
The data also showed that job vacancies in the engineering sector saw an increase in October, rising by 5.9% month-on-month and a staggering 19.8% year-on-year.
This ongoing ‘job boom’ is proof that businesses in the sector are remaining confident despite the effects of Brexit.
And this has clearly been well received by professionals in the industry.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments on the findings: “It’s great to see that engineering professionals are really making the most of the great opportunities available to them. Application rates in the industry have remained stagnant of late, and this is unsurprising given that the industry was predicted to be one of those hit hardest be Brexit.
“Though the increasing skills gap is cause for concern, it’s extremely positive to see that both employers and professionals in the sector are remaining confident in the face of ongoing uncertainty.
“What’s more, recent studies suggest that more professionals are now entering the sector as contractors.
“Whilst this was once a riskier move, the widening skills gap means that engineering professionals can now afford to be more selective with their choice of employment.”
Salaries in the sector also saw an increase last month, with pay packets rising by 0.8% month-on-month.
Though this figure was just below the national average of 1.4%, the industry did see a bigger year-on-year increase of 3.1% (in line with the national inflation rate).
Biggins concludes:“Higher advertised salaries are a likely driving force behind last month’s increased application rates.
“As such, it’s clear that businesses are pulling out all the stops to attract talented candidates to their vacancies.
“With candidate appetite beginning to pick up in the engineering sector it’s vital that businesses don’t let their efforts slip now, and continue to work hard to offer the most competitive packages.”
