UK job vacancies hit new high after furlough endson January 18, 2022 at 7:29 am

UK job vacancies soared to a record high of 1.24 million between October and December, according to new data.

The figures are the first to exclude the impact of the government’s furlough scheme which ended on 31 September.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that job vacancies were 462,000 higher compared to the three months before the pandemic.

Regular pay, excluding bonuses, grew at an annual rate of 3.8% between September and November, the ONS said.

Total pay, which includes bonuses, grew by 4.2%.

The ONS added that pay was showing “minimal growth” when compared to rises in the cost of living.