The research by CV-Library showed that most of the UK’s major cities saw a significant growth in applications last month. Manchester experienced a 92% rise in job applications, followed by Birmingham (90.4%), and Edinburgh (90.2%). London had a 77.2% increase.
The news follows research from Investors in People (IIP), which revealed that almost half of employees (46%) were intending to look for a new role in 2018.
Of the industries receiving the biggest boost in applications, marketing (93.1%), IT (90.1%), accounting (88.4%) and construction (87.1%) all saw impressive growth month-on-month.
Lee Biggins, founder and MD of CV-Library, said that the findings indicate a shift away from a desire for stability among workers.
“In recent months application rates have remained stagnant, with the ONS reporting that unemployment was at the joint-lowest since comparable records began back in 1971," he said. "This is not surprising given the current state of the economy, in which many are looking for stability from their current employer.
“But while the end of the year is traditionally a quieter time in recruitment, our Q4 job market report revealed that businesses were still working hard to attract talented candidates last quarter. This determination has clearly paid off; candidates have come back in full force this January with application rates seeing staggering increases across the UK.”
Businesses also remained confident in January, with nationwide job vacancies rising 59% month-on-month, and 11.2% year-on-year. However, advertised salaries for new roles fell by 0.9% month-on-month and 1.8% year-on-year.
Biggins added: “It’s great to see that advertised job vacancies also rose last month, with January traditionally being a busy time for recruitment. This is most likely because organisations will have received their annual budgets and are well aware that candidates will look for opportunities in the new year.
“This impressive data suggests both candidates and businesses are feeling secure right now and we hope that these figures are an indication of what’s to come as we progress further into 2018.”
