Vacancies across real estate and construction began the year positively, with January 2020 posting 11.2% more jobs year-on-year. That optimism, however, subsided quickly with the emergence of covid-19. 

Current overall activity in 2020 is down by 39.7% compared to last year. But as one of the UK’s most buoyant markets regains its swagger the number of vacancies in the final quarter of the year is set to grow further.

Summer’s easing of lockdown coincided with July’s announcement of a stamp duty cut and a £3bn grant to make houses greener. The sector responded by ramping up vacancies that month to 2,713, up 93% compared to June.