E-Commerce Drive Transport Sector Recruitment
Manpower employment outlook survey reveals that job prospects in the transport sector remain in positive territory
-Outlook of +2% in the Transport sector, driven by e-commerce delivery services
-Strong demand for Category B drivers helps boost diversity in the industry
-Employers looking for white collar professionals with strong experience in supply chain and procurement
11 June 2013: The Employment Outlook for the Transport sector remains in positive territory, with a score of +2% in Q3 2013, according to ManpowerGroup, the world leader in innovative workforce solutions. While this represents a decline on last quarter’s bullish +16% Outlook, the score shows that the sector is still planning to hire over the summer period.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is based on responses from 2,101 UK employers about whether they intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming economic quarter. It is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind and is used as a key economic statistic by both the Bank of England and the UK government. The national Seasonally Adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +5% indicates employers across the UK are looking to take on staff in the third quarter of 2013, demonstrating that the jobs market shows no major sign of a let up.
“While recent data continues to point to a struggling high street, the popularity of online shopping is proving to be encouraging for employment prospects in the Transport sector. Large volumes of home deliveries are creating strong demand for Category B van drivers, as well as drivers of larger 7.5 tonne vehicles. Demand in the Category B segment is particularly encouraging – drivers don’t need a licence upgrade to drive these vehicles, so there are lower barriers to entry. This is helping to attract a more diverse workforce into the sector, with younger and female drivers applying,” says Simon Edwards, Manpower Sector Director – Logistics.
“The encouraging Employment Outlook in the Construction sector, up five points on last quarter, is also being reflected in job prospects in the Transport sector. We’re seeing increased demand for class 2 lorry loaders within building distribution. Beyond drivers, positions are becoming available as general managers and warehouse managers, and there is increasing demand for white collar professionals with supply chain and procurement expertise. So while the Outlook has declined on last quarter, there is still reason for optimism. There is still work for those candidates who are willing to be flexible, gain experience in a variety of roles and use any downtime wisely, to up-skill and renew their driver CPC training.”
The UK’s national Employment Outlook remains firmly in positive territory, with an Outlook of +5%, demonstrating that the jobs market is showing no major sign of a let up. By sector, Finance and Business Services looks particularly strong, hitting a 15-month high at +14%. The Construction sector may be turning a corner at last, with a score of -4%, the highest level for more than a year. Retail, Wholesale, Restaurants and Hotels continued to bump along the bottom at +1%, while Manufacturing rose one percentage point from last quarter to +5%.
