Business Intelligence: Job Indices
Published: 25 June 2008
Number of jobs created up more than half compared to same time last year
There were 61,997 new jobs created across the UK’s 21 key industries in May 2008, up 57% compared to the same time last year, according to Adecco and Mandis’ Job Creation Index (JCI).
The retail and wholesale sector, and the building and construction sector, saw the largest number of jobs created.
The single biggest announcement was made by The Works, a chain of 300 discount bookstores, following a £25m management buy-in that saw 2,200 jobs created. In addition, John Lewis has opened a new store in Preston creating 800 new jobs within the Tithebarn development.
The four major supermarket chains were once again significant players, but much less so than normal. Tesco made 30 significant recruitment
announcements, which will mean 3,100 new jobs.
Meanwhile, Asda announced that 2,000 new jobs will be created; Sainsbury’s will hire 1,200 new staff; and Morrison willcreate 400 new jobs.
The building and construction sector continues to benefit from public sector expenditure. There development by Peel Holdings of the Docklands in Birkenhead and Seacombe on Merseyside created 4,500 new jobs in the short term and is expected to generate 27,500 new jobs in the longer term.
The top performing sectors in May, according to the JCI index, were media, marketing and publishing with a JCI score of 2,803; vehicles and parts with a score of 1,599; and property and environment with a score of 1,300.
May’s poorest performers were telecommunications with a JCI score of -73; print and paper with a score of -64; and technology with a score of -45.
Philip Arnold, the managing director of Mandis, commented: “The job creation figures in May 2008 are decidedly upbeat and confirm the trend towards the expansion of lower paying jobs inthe economy. The result of this trend is that the UK is losing its position as a source of highly skilled labour and is becoming a service-based economy built upon industries that provide consumer goods and services of short-term
value and of little or no export value.”
He added: “Although not within the top three this month, the transport, distribution and logistics sector has generally been a strong performer in recent months.
“Today, however, its very survival is threatened, due to the impact of the fuel increases and it could almost disappear from the UK within the next year unless Gordon Brown is able to reduce the price of fuel through reductions in the duty levied on fuel.
“The ultimate beneficiaries of any UK collapse, would be organisations located in lower cost EU countries, with lower fuel, labour and regulatory costs.”
- The JCI figures are determined by comparing the number of jobscreated within UK industrial sectors each month with the number of jobs created for the corresponding month in the previous year. The index shows individual industry performance measured asa percentage above or below the number of jobs created in the same month one year ago.
| Job Title | Job Location | Job Position |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Director/Divisional Manager... | All | Permanent |
| Sales or Marketing Recruitment... | North West | Permanent |
| Manpower Professional – Branch Manager... | North West | Permanent |
| Senior Consultant... | South East | Permanent |
| Team Leader/Senior Consultant... | Scotland | Permanent |
| Work Life balance in London...YES in... | London | Permanent |
