Job vacancies hit record high in UK amid Brexit and Covid staff shortages

12 October 2021, 11:33 | Updated: 12 October 2021, 15:03

The Chancellor heralded the economic figures
The Chancellor heralded the economic figures. Picture: Alamy

By Will Taylor

Job vacancies soared to a record high of almost 1.2 million in September, however encouraging figures showed the number of British workers on company payrolls rose above pre-pandemic levels.

New numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal there is now a record 29.2 million staff on payrolls, up by 122,000 on February 2020.

The number shot up by 207,000 between August and September.

Meanwhile, there was a record leap in job vacancies, up by almost 1.2 million in September.

The rate of unemployment fell to 4.5% between June and August, the ONS added.

Meanwhile, wages saw a steep rise, with average weekly earnings going up 7.2% with bonuses, or 6% without bonuses, in the three months to August.

However, the ONS said those figures could be skewed, with lower paid jobs having been hit hardest by the pandemic.

Read more: Rishi Sunak promises £500m funding to get people back to work amid looming winter crisis

Read more: Bank of England chief makes 'plague of locusts' joke as economy faces 'hard yards' ahead

Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said: "The jobs market has continued to recover from the effects of the coronavirus, with the number of employees on payroll in September now well exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

"Vacancies also reached a new one-month record in September, at nearly 1.2 million, with our latest estimates suggesting that all industries have at least as many jobs on offer now as before the onset of Covid-19."

The Industry needs to improve HGV working conditions

However, the ONS said there is an increasing recruitment crisis, with some sectors struggling to fill roles. Vacancies are 318,000 above levels pre-Covid.

The hospitality sector has struggled the most. Nearly a third of respondents (30%) said it has been harder than usual to recruit, according to ONS analysis.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "As we move to the next stage of our support, it's encouraging to see our Plan for Jobs working - the number of expected redundancies remained very low in September, there are more employees on payrolls than ever before and the unemployment rate has fallen for eight months in a row."

Unemployment fell by 126,000 in the quarter to August, to 1.5 million. Employment rose 235,000 to 32.4 million.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Emergency services were called just after 7pm on Friday amid reports a woman had suffered serious injuries

'Screaming, shouting, crying': Landlady breaks silence after woman shot dead at village pub - as manhunt continues

Exclusive
Jonathan Reynolds told LBC’s Iain Dale that NATO is ‘a highly effective integrated defensive structure’, and that US requests for higher European spending on the alliance are ‘not unreasonable’.

Europe must ‘work closely’ with US to face Russia, Business Sec tells LBC ahead of emergency Ukraine summit

.T. Miller #10 of Team USA and Colton Parayko #55 of Team Canada fight during the first period in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025

Gloves off: Three fights in first nine seconds as USA beat Canada to reach 4 Nations ice hockey final

Exclusive
Europe must boost defence spending if it wants peace, Ukraine's former PM has told LBC.

‘If you want peace, pay for it', says ex-Ukrainian PM as Starmer to 'overrule' Reeves and boost defence spending

Lucy Letby was ‘shocked and distressed’ during the investigation into the deaths of babies that she was later found guilty of murdering, and ‘deserves an Oscar’ if she was lying, her former boss said.

Lucy Letby was 'innocent', distressed and ‘deserves an Oscar if she was acting’ says former boss

Jockey Michael O'Sullivan at Ascot Racecourse. Picture date: Friday November 22, 2024.

Cheltenham-winning jockey Michael O'Sullivan dies aged just 24 after fall in race

Prime Minister Keir Starmer Meets With Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves At Downing Street

Starmer to 'overrule' Reeves and call for increased defence spending ahead of meeting with Donald Trump

images shared on social media show police arresting a man following the attack.

'Laughing' Syrian asylum seeker who stabbed boy, 14, to death was motivated by 'Islamic terrorism'

Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for 52 years.

FBI joins investigation into Southport killer amid claims he wiped internet search history

Heavy Rush In Trains For Last Amrit Snan On Prayagraj Kumbh

At least 15 dead in train station stampede in New Delhi

Pope Francis Attends The Weekly General Audience on Wednesday.

Pope Francis to miss Sunday prayer due to 'absolute rest' order after bronchitis diagnosis

Udoka Godwin-Malife

Burton Albion defender allegedly target of racist abuse by fan

Applegreen petrol station in New Town, Uckfield, Sussex.

Teenager dies after car overturned at Sussex petrol station

Starmer, Trump and Putin.

'Once in a generation moment': Starmer warns against NATO division ahead of emergency summit on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and United States President Donald Trump (right).

US officials heading to Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia

People look into a cordoned off area where a 23-year-old man stabbed several people in the southern Austria city of Villach,.

Boy, 14, killed and five injured after Syrian asylum seeker goes on knife rampage in Austrian town