267 apply for every junior job in offices

THE number of job hunters chasing each entry-level role in offices has more than doubled since the Covid crisis struck.

Data from Britain’s biggest recruiter Reed show that the most sought-after positions on its website are office jobs for assistants, administrators and people in customer services.

Office assistant jobs now see an average 267 applications per vacancy, set against 110 in February. Executive assistant jobs have an average 165 applicants per post, compared with 60 pre-crisis, while office administrator jobs attract 158 applicants, as compared with 62 before lockdown.

Jobs for customer service agents, marketing assistants and administrative assistants are also receiving more than twice as many candidates as before the coronavirus crisis. Overall there are 22 people chasing every vacancy on Reed’s website. Before the crisis, there was an average of 16 people applying for each role.

The figures show the scale of the growing employment crisis facing young people as more will be made redundant when the furlough scheme ends on October 31.

James Reed, boss of Reed, said: ‘These are all entry-level jobs – lots of people start their careers in these administrative roles. We must do more to support young people starting out. Retail and hospitality have also been hit hard. People might need to move from one sector to another.’