More people looking for a career switch
EMPLOYER behaviour and feeling undervalued are driving more people in the East Midlands to look for a career move than before lockdown, despite fears of mass unemployment at the end of furlough in March, according to research released by specialist recruiters, Reed.
The research, which asked 2,000 people about their skills and job hunting over the last six months, revealed that even before November, 28 per cent of candidates in the East Midlands were looking to move compared to 19 per cent before lockdown.
Employees in the region feel the most undervalued in the country, with not feeling valued, and being unhappy with how their company behaved during the pandemic the main reasons for movement in the market.
Meanwhile, unemployed people have found it hard to get new jobs with mental health stress and a lack of jobs as the biggest hurdles to overcome when finding a new role.
Robert Russell, regional managing director of REED in the East Midlands, said: “The health and financial impact of coronavirus has been devastating to many. As such, we are expecting the economy to take time to regain its strength in the wake of this virus and as a result, current candidates are facing an extremely competitive job market.
“Because of this, there is a real opportunity for employers to attract new talent and strengthen their businesses.
“Many employees have started to become unsettled at this time, and we know that because of this situation there are lots of great, highlytalented people available.
“Across the East Midlands there have been harsh lockdown restrictions and the once bustling city centres have struggled.
“However, there are opportunities starting to appear, and as the new year approaches with an effective vaccine looking to be on the horizon, businesses can start looking to bolster the talent in their ranks.
“It is important that whether in or out of work, people continue to hone their skills. For those in work, progress must be continued but for many out of work at this time, reskilling is something to consider to move into new sectors where there are more jobs.”
More than four in 10 (42 per cent) employed people in the East Midlands have completed training in the last six months.
The unemployed are also enhancing their skill sets, but 77 per cent across the nation have not undertaken any training since losing their job. This could put job seekers at a disadvantage in a competitive market with being unsure what courses to take and not being able to afford them the top reasons for not doing training, despite many free opportunities being available.