Job vacancies in the UK are Soaring but there are not enough workers

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According to a KPMG Survey, the demand for workers rose at its fastest rate in May for more than 23 years.

Hospitality venues are struggling to fill thousands of jobs with waiting staff and chefs in particular demand as Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease, industry body UK Hospitality said last week.

Many hospitality firms have struggled during the pandemic despite extensive government support, including rates holidays and the furlough scheme, and staff have lost their jobs or seen their hours reduced.

The monthly survey of more than 400 recruitment and employment agencies is proof that the economic recovery is gathering pace.

Some are warning that their could be a staffing crisis this summer, partly caused by gaps left by workers from the EU that returned home at the beginning of the pandemic and have not returned because of Brexit.

To see our current opportunities, take a look at https://www.hamiltonmayday.co.uk/job-search/

UK diners could spend an estimated £54.7bn on eating out by 2017, a new study has claimed.

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UK diners could spend an estimated £54.7bn on eating out by 2017, a new study has claimed.

The UK’s restaurant sector is booming, with Britons spending a total of £52.2bn eating out in 2015.

But NPD Group predicts this figure will climb to £53.3bn in 2016 with diners making 11.4bn visits to foodservice companies.

NPD said it expected the UEFA Euro Champsionship and the Rio Olympics to provide a boost to the eating out market later this year.

By 2017 Britons are forecast to spend an estimated £54.7bn on eating out, making 11.5bn visits to restaurants, pubs and other out-of-home food companies.

Cyril Lavenant, NPD’s Director of Foodservice for the UK, said: “It’s good to see that there was a bigger improvement in 2015 than anticipated, with the actual performance of 1.3 per cent visit growth against our prediction of 1.1 per cent.

“However, while 2017 will also see growth, it is likely that the pace will slow down. We do not see consumers increasing their spending in the foodservice sector any faster than this.”

Casual Dining

While the casual dining market is continuing to grow NPD said it would take until 2017 to hit the £5bn sales mark, compared to the £4.7bn sales seen in 2015.

The company said the slower rate of spend growth is due to casual dining reaching saturation point in the London market, with the capital accounting for 20 per cent of overall British foodservice industry spend.

 

 

Unemployment falls

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Unemployment in the UK fell by 60,000 between October and December to 1.69 million, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The rate of unemployment was unchanged from a month ago at 5.1%, maintaining a decade-low rate.

More than 31.4 million people are in work, the highest figure since records began in 1971.

But ONS statistician Nick Palmer said that growth in people’s earnings was still slow.

“While the employment rate continues to hit new highs and there are more job vacancies than ever previously recorded, earnings growth remains subdued and markedly below the recent peak of mid-2015,” Mr Palmer said.

Inactive rate falls

Pay increased by 2.0% during the period, very similar to the growth rate between September to November 2014 and September to November 2015, which was 1.9%.

The number of Britons in work increased by 278,000 in the three months to the end of December, to 28.28 million, while for non-UK nationals, the figure rose by 254,000 to 3.22 million.

The economically inactive rate for women fell to 27.2%, a record low.

Last month, Bank of England governor Mark Carney signalled that a rise in interest rates would not be imminent as global economic growth slowed.

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the US economy added 151,000 jobs in January, helping to push the country’s unemployment rate down to 4.9%.

However, the US number was lower than expected and was a sharp slowdown from December, when 292,000 jobs were added.

Unemployment in the eurozone dropped in December to its lowest rate in more than four years, despite worries about the global economy.

Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, said the jobless rate in the 19 country eurozone had fallen to 10.4% from 10.5% in November.

The Top Nine Tricky Interview Questions

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Here’s an overview of all our guidance on how to tackle specific tricky interview questions that you might come up against in your graduate job interviews.

Forewarned is forearmed, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the key tricky interview questions that recruiters love to use and candidates sometimes stumble over. Here it is in full, so read on to find out what employers are really asking and pick up tactics for giving answers that show you in the best possible light.

‘What is your biggest weakness?’

The problem with this question is that you’re being asked about your shortcomings, when your instinct, in an interview situation, is to keep your flaws as well hidden as possible. What you need to do is to frame your answer to as to give it a positive spin.

Strengths and weaknesses can be different sides of the same coin, so another way to approach this question is to think about how you overcome the potential downside of your greatest strength. For example, if you’re a natural teamworker, is it difficult for you to cope with conflict or assume leadership abilities? How do you cope with this?

‘Why do you think you will be successful in this job?’

This isn’t an invitation to boast – you are being asked to match your strengths to the qualities needed to do the job. Don’t forget, it’s a very specific question. Why are you suited to this job, as opposed to any other? Thorough employer research will save the day, as it will enable you to match your skills, interests and experience to the job role and the company.

‘Have you ever had a bad experience with an employer?’

Graduate recruiters use some questions as much to see how you cope when you’re put on the spot as to elicit a truthful answer. This question is a test of your ability to think on your feet and come up with a diplomatic response. Whether you sidestep the question by saying you’ve always got on well with your employers, or describe a tricky situation you’ve experienced that highlights your potential, you need to avoid attacking your previous employers. Also, take care not to incriminate yourself.

‘Give an example of a time when you handled a major crisis.’

Feel free to reframe the question. This is similar to asking ‘Can you give an example of a time when you had to cope with a difficult situation?’ or ‘Give an example of a time when you had to cope under pressure’. However, ‘crisis’ is a much stronger, more emotive word. You may find it easier to give an example if you think back through your work experience, study, extracurricular activities and travel and come up with a time when you had to cope with an unexpected problem.

‘Where do you expect to be in five years’ time?’

This is another question that allows you to show off your employer research and your understanding of your chosen career path. You’ll want to come across as enthusiastic, but not arrogant. Tailor your response to reflect the nature of the organisation, the sector, and your own experiences and skills. Specific details will impress.

What motivates you?

You are particularly likely to be asked about your motivation in a strengths-based interview, which focuses on what you enjoy doing and what you do well. Your answer should draw on an example from your extracurricular activities, work experience or studies that suggests you would be strongly motivated by the job you are applying for.

How do you manage your time and prioritise tasks?

When a recruiter asks how you manage your time, don’t just give an example of a time when you did this successfully. Your interviewer wants to know your tactics and strategies for getting yourself organised, so whatever approach you use to prioritising and listing your tasks, you should be ready to describe it.

Give an example of a time when you showed initiative.

If an interviewer asks you to describe a situation in which you showed initiative, avoid giving an example of an idea you had but never put into action. It’s much better to talk about a time when you not only came up with a solution to a problem but also acted on it. Then you can explain the effect your decision had when you put it into practice.

Give an example of your lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking is the ability to use your imagination to look at a problem in a fresh way and come up with a new solution. Companies prize employees with lateral thinking skills because without them, they can’t innovate and create new products. Think about times when you’ve been faced with real-life problems and have somehow managed to overcome them. Chances are your solution involved an original, creative approach, and that’s what employers want to find out about.