Job boards have been hit hard by the economic downturn, according to a new survey.

Among the findings of the survey of 43 UK job boards by whatjobsite.com are:

- More than half (56%) say business is down

- 70% report a decrease in job postings by recruitment agencies

- 68% report a decrease in job applications

The survey also found that more than half (58% ) say they have seen a decrease in marketing spend.  

There is also evidence that despite fewer jobs, jobseekers are flocking to job boards, with 64% reporting an increase in unique users, and 68% seeing a rise in CV uploads.

However, while the industry faces severe challenges, 33% of participants report signs of green shoots and 73% are generally positive about the year to come.

Karl Schweppe, managing director of whatjobsite.com, told Recruiter: “The results of this survey reflect the fact that he market is curently one of the most difficult since the beginning of job boards in the 1980s.  Schweppe says he predicts that the current market conditions will see those job boards with strong brands becoming stronger, and a reduction in the number of job boards overall.