Vacancies in 2002 in the UK were generally down on the year before, though the trend was fairly flat. There was a marked fall in the number of vacancies post-September 2001, which can in part be explained by business uncertainty following the World Trade Center attacks. However, there is evidence of a seasonal factor. Although there was a recovery in early 2002, the number of vacancies fell again between September and December 2002.
12 month change in the number of job vacancies, 2002, United Kingdom
It was only towards the end of 2002 (October onwards) that there were year-on-year increases in the number of vacancies. While that could be seen as a pick-up, it seems more likely that they just reflect the fact the figures the year before were particularly low.
Changes in the number of vacancies varied between industries. Comparing the three months to December 2002 with the same period the year before, the largest increases were in the transport and communications sectors (14,000) and the public administration, education and health sectors (11,000).
The largest decrease was in the finance and business services sector, where there were 17,000 fewer jobs in the last quarter of 2002 compared with the same period the previous year.
Source: Vacancy Survey, Office for National Statistics
Notes: A new vacancy survey, published for the first time in July 2003, provides data on the level of vacancies since April 2001. The vacancy survey series are not seasonally adjusted yet due to short run of data available, hence the focus on annual change.
printer-friendly
Focus on Labour Market 2002 Home