Industry News Round Up

As the working week winds down and the weekend draws near, we take a look at some of this week’s industry news headlines.

On Monday, findings from a recent report found that more than a quarter of UK SMEs are pushing to bring manufacturing back to Britain. Due to the highcosts of offshore production, 26% of respondents to the Manufacturing Advisory Service’s Barometer feel bringing manufacturing back will reduce costs. Such a move would not only strengthen the economy, but also bring more jobs.

The same report also found that one in six UK manufacturers has brought production back from overseas during the past year, or is in the process of doing so. The fact that more companies are returning to the UK, with others planning or wishing too, again offers a positive outlook for employment in this sector.

The final standout item this week was that, according to a report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, only 7% of UK professional engineers are female. For Scott Fletcher of ANS Group, this is too low – and we agree.

To find or advertise manufacturing and engineering jobs, check out what we’ve got over on ThornleyCS.com

Comment on… UK unemployment lowest for nearly four years

If you’ve caught the news today, you would’ve seen the headlines about how the number of unemployed people in the UK has fallen during the last quarter.

In the three months to September, the number of jobless people fell by 48,000 while the number of people employed rose by 177,000 – taking the UK unemployment rate to 7.6%, the lowest its been since May 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics.

But what does it mean?

Looking at the implications this has for job seekers, recruiters and the UK economy, these recent findings largely mean positive things.

For UK job seekers, the fact that unemployment has dropped demonstrates two major positives. Firstly, it shows that there are jobs out there thanks to an increase in job creation. The report shows that the majority of newly created jobs are full time. Secondly, the report shows that people are getting employed – so, not only are there more jobs out there, but companies are actively ensuring that their vacancies are being filled.

For recruiters and employers, the findings demonstrate momentum in the job market. While the number of unemployed people is still a large 2.47 million, the fact this number is declining shows that there are active candidates out there.

Looking at the bigger picture, this news is an indication that the UK economy is continuing to recover. What can’t be ignored, though, is that employment levels still haven’t recovered from pre-recession figures. However, the fact that they are rising shows that the employment market is on the mend and that there are more job opportunities out there.

At Thornley, we we offer clients and candidates a dedicated partner in their search for the right skills to ensure growth and profitability or their next professional career move across engineering and automotive sectors.

Engineering recruitment back on track

If you like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn, you would’ve seen us share this positive story from yesterday’s news:

“Engineering recruitment back on track”
(Times Higher Education)

The item looks at how the number of students undertaking engineering courses in the UK has risen.

It goes on to suggest (and we think quite rightly) that this means nothing but good news for the engineering sector, in particular those recruiting within the sector.

Why? Because, in short, it means that as more people register an interest, and actually become qualified, in engineering, then an even bigger pool of top level candidates is growing out there for available jobs in the sector.

With engineering being one of our key sectors for both recruiting clients and candidates looking for new jobs, we couldn’t ignore this positive outlook for what the future holds!

Visit ThornleyCS.com for more about what we do!