Jobseekers race to beat the January jobs rush

January is traditionally the month when jobseekers are motivated to push ahead with finding that new role.

However, those looking to beat the jobs rush would do best to look in the IT, Sales, Engineering and Manufacturing, Health and Social Care, and Property and Construction industries.

That’s according to new data from Jobrapido, which has released figures showing that these areas have recorded the most job postings over the past year on its website.

The data, which covers January 2016 to January 2017 inclusive, indicates greater stability in these industries than others, and an increased need for these professions in the future.

Meanwhile, Science and Technology, Energy and Utilities, Military Policing and Security, Retail and Banking and Insurance recorded the least amount of job postings on its website, which may indicate less confidence in these industries with regards to job creation going forward.

The picture was not always consistent throughout the year, however. Jobrapido saw a drop in overall job postings of 3% between June and July 2016, with a quick recovery from July to August. In this period, Jobrapido saw an increase in job postings of 6%.

Meanwhile, new data from the Totaljobs Employment Index reveal that job applications were up 11% in the final three months of 2016, when compared with the previous three months – and 25% higher than in the same period in 2015.

John Salt, Director, totaljobs said: “There’s never an ‘easy’ time to hire a new member of staff, but what this latest data shows us is that the trend for job hunting in the new year actually starts much earlier, towards the back end of the previous year.

“For those recruiters that might find it a bit harder to attract candidates quickly, such as the 20% that have to leave vacancies open for three to six months, it could be worth trying to move the time you recruit towards the early winter months, when demand is high. On top of this, offering the right package of benefits, and using the correct recruiting methods remains important.”