Vacancies
Statistics on job vacancies provide important information about the demand for labour. Advertising a vacancy is one of the first tangible signs of an employer intending to recruit staff, so statistics on job vacancies can give an early indication of what is happening in the labour market. There are two sources of vacancy statistics:
The ONS Vacancy Survey provides comprehensive estimates of the number of job vacancies across the UK economy. This monthly survey asks employers how many vacancies they have in total for which they are actively seeking recruits from outside their organisation, for example by advertising or interviewing. The survey began in April 2001 and the results became National Statistics in June 2003. The results are published in the Labour Market Statistics First Release and the Economic & Labour Market Review journal (ELMR). The headline series are seasonally adjusted three-month rolling averages. Monthly estimates are also published, along with a ratio of vacancies per 100 employees. Analysis is available by industry and by size of enterprise.
Statistics of Jobcentre vacancies, that is job openings notified by employers to Jobcentre Plus, are also collected from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. These provide a more detailed analysis of vacancies by local area, occupation and duration of vacancies, as well as by industry. However, they are not comprehensive since many vacancies are filled without reference to Jobcentre Plus. The Jobcentre figures can be expressed in terms of the inflow of newly-notified vacancies over a period, or the number of unfilled vacancies on a specified date each month. A limited range of statistics on Jobcentre Plus vacancies, relating to the inflows of newly-notified vacancies, is available on Nomis®.
