About this section

There are many factors to consider when thinking about future education and career choices. One of these may be future prospects for employment. This will greatly depend on a number of different factors, and in the present economic situation, it is difficult to make accurate future predictions of employment prospects in a particular industry or occupation.

However, the Government collects a great deal of data about economic and employment trends, mainly for economic forecasting purposes, some of which provides an insight into trends in employment.

This section will look at the changing UK labour market and trends in employment. It will encourage you to think not only about your local labour market, but also the national and international context in which we live and work. We will look at some of the main reasons why and how the labour market is changing.

UK labour market trends: A summary

In the presentation The changing labour market.ppt , three fundamental changes that influence current key trends and drivers in the labour market are identified:

• the global nature of our economy
• the rapid development of technology
• the changing population profile of the country.

But of course, these changes will impact in different ways on industries and occupations.
So what are the current trends in the labour market?

• Approximately 70% of the UK population of working age are in employment; 75% of men and 65% of women are employed.
• Around 1.7 million people are currently claiming Jobseekers Allowance.
• Unemployment levels have remained steady, but the number of long-term unemployed (i.e. those who have been unemployed for over 12 months) has increased over the last year.
• The number of job opportunities has started to increase; recently, these have been in public administration.

Factors affecting the UK labour market:

• Slow recovery and government public spending cuts
• Consumer spending and confidence low, as household incomes are squeezed
• Businesses depending on public sector customers
• Small business experiencing difficulties in accessing credit

Future jobs?

• Jobs for the low carbon economy and digital economy
• Advanced manufacturing – in, for example, aerospace, silicon electronics, plastic/printed electronics, industrial biotechnology and nanotechnology
• Engineering construction – critical need for planners, project/programme design and management, chartered engineers, scientists, site and construction managers, safety specialists
• Financial and professional services
• Life sciences and pharmaceuticals
• Creative, care, retail, tourism, hospitality and leisure – will be key in the future