As the UK economy adjusts to a new equilibrium as a result of the change in Government, there have been positive signs of a rebounding in recruitment. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that a fair amount of the July hiring was due to vacancies being deferred from earlier in spring, as companies waited on the result of the election. Once the Labour Party was confirmed as having won, companies removed the hiring freeze and moved ahead with the vacancies they had planned for.
The pandemic’s long-term impact on the industry is still evident, particularly in how we work. The sudden shift from structured, on-site roles to remote work has altered workplace dynamics, with traditional business principles now being challenged, especially by younger generations. This has created challenges for HR departments as businesses face resistance to returning on-site.
Within a week of coming to power, Starmer committed to stand with Ukraine, for as long as it takes. As part of that he then committed to new package of artillery and brimstone missiles to be delivered shortly, as well as placing a new order for soviet era ammunition, to help bolster Ukraine’s defences. Hence, the bounce seen across the UK economy in July, was most pronounced in Aerospace & Defence, with vacancies rising month to month by over 40%, and hitting levels last seen in November last year.
For everyone involved in IT recruitment, the burst of activity seen in July was a welcome relief, as vacancies ended up hitting levels not seen since Q1. Indeed, the final total for the month, was the third highest since April 2023. Nonetheless, the pragmatists will recognize that the general election being announced in May, resulted in many businesses deferring investment decisions, including hiring, until after the result, which had meant that Q2 was materially quieter than Q1. So the burst in July could just be the result of that pent up demand being recognized.
With the general election now behind us, the UK economy is showing signs of acceleration. Economists are already revising their forecasts on GDP growth for this year, and the fact that Starmer has won with such a significant mandate means that there is certainty about what lies ahead for business.
