According to a survey of 1,600 public sector jobseekers by Totaljobs, two thirds (64%) would be willing to take a pay cut (compared to 20% in April).
The research provides the first indication that public sector jobseekers are taking the advice of the coalition Government and moving to areas where employment looks brighter. The research indicates the beginnings of a migration from areas where public sector employment has been high, such as the West Midlands and the North West, to regions with better opportunities such as the South East and London, which have seen a 35% and 41% increase in job postings respectively.
John Salt, website director at Totaljobs, said: "Public sector jobseekers have a high level of transferable skills. However in today’s market, this isn’t enough. Jobseekers need to be flexible to secure that next position and it seems that they finally understand this. Those willing to move with the times will find they will reap the benefits in the long-term."
In April, pay and pensions were two areas that public sector employees would not compromise with only 18% of public sector jobseekers willing to take a pay cut to secure a job whilst only 3% stated they would do the same with pension rights.
This summer brings a change, with ‘softer’ benefits taking higher precedence. One quarter (23%) of public sector jobseekers now state that job security is the most important. This is followed by working conditions (14%), flexible working (14%), and pay (13%), with pensions (4%) coming only before childcare (1%) as the least important benefit to public sector jobseekers.
Almost two thirds (64%) of public sector jobseekers stated they would be happy to take a pay cut, with 25% of respondents stating they would take a cut between 4-6% and 15% saying they would take a 10% cut or more.
The split between those seeking work from private and public sector backgrounds is stark. In contrast to what is happening in private enterprise, where the young have been severely affected, it seems that it is the more experienced in the public sector who are losing out.
Six months ago, 57% of public sector jobseekers were over 40 and over a third (36%) had over 10 years experience with the state. Now, half of survey respondents are married and 42% have dependents suggesting there could be future social implications in regions where public sector employment was high.
With a 14% decrease in public sector related job openings in the second quarter of 2010 compared to a 7% growth in private sector recruitment in Q2 2010, it seems that security is a key factor for public sector jobseekers. But with 54% stating they feel less secure in their job than before the General Election, and 30% taking a pay cut or freeze in the past year, many are likely to turn to the private sector to fulfil their ambitions. With up to 21 applications per job in the private sector, competition however is fierce.
Salt added: "Those coming from public sector employment need to be more flexible and willing to adjust to the current demands of the labour market. Public sector workers who have already lost their job, or fear doing so, may take some comfort from recent indicators in the private sector. More positive signs are starting to appear in the private sector and the Totaljobs Barometer, which measures supply and demand in the job’s market, showed a small rise in the last quarter."
