Record levels for public sector recruitment: +51% in public sector professional roles this year
There has been a +51% increase in (desk-based) public sector job roles for the first half of 2023, when compared to the same period last year.
If job vacancies continue at the pace that they have, then job volume for professional roles within the public sector will be +35% up on 2022 – making this the only industry segment to see an increase in white-collar / head-office roles this year.
The hiring intelligence findings – from specialist recruitment firm Robert Walters – analyses job vacancies across professional services roles such as finance, HR, legal, technology, marketing, and business support & admin.
Habiba Khatoon – Director at Robert Walters – comments:
“It really is no surprise to see the demand for public sector professionals remain so high in 2023 – in particular due to changing government priorities, evolving legislation, demographic changes putting additional pressure on the system, and the need for specialized skills to keep up with technological advancements.
The recent announcement on the long-awaited pay increase has given the public sector the well-needed positive PR it has required. With a better reputation around job security, generous leave entitlement, work-life balance, and diverse career opportunities – when compared to the private sector – the tide may be turning on where the most in-demand talent may choose to lay their hat.”
According to the Robert Walters hiring intelligence report there has been an explosion in hiring for Tech Management roles in public sector recruitment– with volumes up +138% on last year, accounting for 8% of all new professional job vacancies in the public sector in the last quarter.
This is in stark contrast to all other sectors – where across the UK, Tech Management roles are down -59%.
Habiba adds: “Arguably the public sector was slightly behind the curve on digital transformation post-pandemic. So whilst we saw a bulk of tech hiring take place within the private sector in the 12 months following lockdown measure being lifted, this scale of hiring only seems to be taking place now.”
Other roles in demand across the public sector include Management Accounting and Digital Marketing – which have increased by +18% and +11% respectively, in the past year.
By region, London remains the largest in terms of vacancies accounting for 32% of all advertised roles - however, it is The North (+42%), South (+34%), and The Midlands (+26%) that have seen notable growth. London has seen a +30% growth in public sector professional vacancies in the past year.
Habiba adds: “Whilst the decline in roles across professional services may be somewhat disheartening – a lot of this can be put down to the market correcting itself after we saw a record number of job vacancies post pandemic."
"For the most part, many firms have secured the talent that they needed, and now in the face of a rocky economic climate we are seeing a degree of risk aversion play out.”
Find out more information on Robert Walters' specialist public sector recruitment services here.
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