2021 jobs figures rise 97% year-on-year and 25% compared to 2019

Reed.co.uk (@reedcouk), reports over 3.3 million jobs were added onto the website in 2021, over 1.5 million more than 2020 – a 97% year-on-year rise.

The leading jobs and careers site also reported a 25% increase in new jobs posted last year compared with 2019, when 2.7 million jobs were recorded before the start of the pandemic.

September was the most active month for job postings, with 357,489 jobs created – increasing by 150% and 60% compared to 2020 and 2019 respectively.

Similarly, December – a month where job postings traditionally fall in the lead up to Christmas and New Year’s – saw nearly 350,000 new vacancies go live, the second most active month of 2021 and a 151% and 132% increase on 2020 and 2019’s figures respectively.

Job postings in every sector on Reed.co.uk were up year-on-year compared to 2020, with Customer Service (510%) and Transport & Logistics (337%) seeing the highest percentage increases, followed by Banking (305%), Strategy & Consultancy (255%), Hospitality & Catering (176%), Retail (170%) and Manufacturing (136%).

In terms of the number of new jobs created, Transport & Logistics was the most active sector in 2021 with 376,000 jobs posted, followed by Customer Service (338,954), IT & Telecoms (264,184), Education (256,301) and Health & Medicine (168,558).

Reed.co.uk found further evidence of a jobs boom through its regional analysis of job vacancies on the site. Every region across the UK saw job vacancies for last year outstrip 2020 and nearly all saw more jobs added than before the pandemic. South East England and London were the most active regions for job postings with both seeing over half a million new vacancies added last year, a 77% and 108% increase year-on-year, respectively.

Recent analysis of Reed.co.uk’s jobs data also suggests that the ongoing jobs boom will continue into 2022, with over 32,000 jobs live on the site in 24-hours on the first Tuesday of the new year – a new record.

Commenting on the figures, James Reed, chairman of Reed Recruitment, said:

“Across the UK, we are seeing record levels of job postings in virtually every sector on Reed.co.uk. A jobs boom has been underway for the past nine months in the UK: In May, Reed.co.uk recorded the most jobs in a month since the 2008 global financial crash; By July, the number of jobs posted on our website surpassed the total for the entirety of 2020; And in November we had over 300,000 jobs available throughout the entire month for the first time in our history.

As we move into 2022, the momentum which has built up in the jobs market is showing no signs of slowing down either. It is now the best time in fifty years to look for a new job. In this newly established sellers’ market, jobseekers hold all the cards and should feel empowered to find new opportunities whether to explore different industries, improve work-life balance, increase wages or boost career prospects. I urge anyone thinking of switching career to explore the opportunities available to them.”