Exeter named as one of the easiest cities to find a job in the UK

26 cities in the UK have more vacancies than jobseekers new research from job search site Adzuna.co.uk reveals. 

Top cities labelled the ‘best places to find work’ include Oxford, Winchester, Manchester and Exeter, with Cambridge coming out on top with six vacancies per jobseeker.

Oxford is in second place with five vacancies per jobseeker followed by Manchester, advertising four jobs per person.

Across all cities job postings in healthcare and IT dominate making up 69,135 and 43,475 advertised jobs respectively. The NHS remain one of the largest recruiters, advertising over 25,000 key worker vacancies from nurses to radiographers, paramedics and housekeepers.

Logistics and warehouse jobs throughout the country remain in demand as people continue to use online shopping in the wake of coronavirus. 

Andrew Hunter, Co-Founder of Adzuna, said: “While it’s disappointing to see a drop in vacancies as a result of coronavirus, we want jobseekers to know that there are still opportunities out there and most of them will play a crucial role in keeping the country and the economy running during this difficult time.

“We’re pleased to see vacancies outnumbering jobseekers in so many cities and hope this will boost morale for those who may be out of work. We want to arm jobseekers with the tools and data they need to find the right job and give them the best possible chance of finding work.”

Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “As we begin to reopen sectors of our economy, it’s encouraging to see hiring confidence still remains in various sectors and pockets of the UK.

“That’s why we’re continuing to support people into critical roles and our new Job Help site is there to support people right now, connecting them to thousands of jobs which are currently available."

 Cities with the most vacancies per jobseeker

London fails to make the top 10, however, it is still a hub of opportunity with 2.3 jobs per job seeker. A proportion of job opportunities in the capital have been created as a result of COVID-19 with Healthcare and Nursing jobs making up 5,844 of the available opportunities. The capital city is open to thousands of tech jobs, healthcare and nursing, accounting and Finance and social work jobs.

Sector hot spots

Healthcare and IT jobs are the top hiring sectors nationally, making up 69,135 and 43,475 advertised jobs respectively. London, Manchester and Birmingham are the top locations for healthcare professionals, while IT jobs are most prevalent in Bristol, Cambridge and Edinburgh.  Logistics and warehouse jobs are still in demand, as people turn to online shopping in the wake of coronavirus. Logistics and Warehouse positions are the sector that is most even spread across the country. 

Cities with the least vacancies

Sunderland is the most competitive city to find a job with 4 applicants chasing every vacancy, followed by Bradford with 2.4 jobseekers per role. Public sector jobs are prominent in both cities with healthcare and teaching jobs now the most in-demand in these regions. Salford, Hull, and Belfast round out the most competitive 5 areas. However, jobseekers nursing and IT jobs are still prominent in Belfast and Hull.

Top Cities by Demand for Jobs per Major Sector

 Bottom Cities by Demand for Jobs per Major Sector