Britain Adds Over 220,000 Job Openings as Labor Market Tightens

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Driving instructors, prison officers and fork-lift truck drivers were in increasing demand in the U.K. at the start of November as companies continued to struggle to fill vacancies, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation. 

More than 220,000 job adverts were posted during the first week of the month, the fourth-highest figure since the start of the 2020, the lobby group said in a report published Friday. It took the total number of active job postings to a record-high 2.68 million.  

The figures suggest the labor market is showing no signs of cooling despite concerns about rising living costs and the persistence of Covid-19. The Bank of England is expected to increase interest rates next month to prevent mounting wage pressure driving up inflation across the economy. 

Vacancies varied by region and sector, however, said REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry. 

The London jobs market continues to grow at a slower pace than other parts of the country, while labor demand in the construction industry fell last week because supply disruptions are making it hard for firms to work at full capacity, according to the report.

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