June saw a 22% increase in construction vacancies, according to the latest data from totaljobs.com.

The research the electronics and engineering industries saw a 20% increase in jobs posted but some sectors such as social services (-41%) and education (-20%) as well as the third sector (-22%).

The research also shows the competition for jobs rose to a peak of 17 applications per job in Q2 2011, a rise from 12 in the same period in 2010.

John Salt, director at totaljobs.com, says: “We’re starting to see the beginnings of a possible upturn in the labour market, with a second quarter of continued steadying out in terms of the number of jobs being posted by employers.

“However, big changes will not happen overnight and we anticipate further small peaks and troughs before a full recovery. It’s great news to see that sectors such as construction are beginning to show signs of recovery as it is these sectors that typically indicate the beginnings of economic recovery.

“Our forecast for the third quarter is for a small dip in the availability of jobs due to the summer holiday period, but overall, I am confident that the recovery will continue slowly and we can look forward to a period of solid growth. Our advice for jobseekers is to remain confident and focus their applications by spending time on a targeted few, rather than applying in mass.”