Recruitment levels in hospitality grew 18% over the last year, with over 160,000 jobs advertised on Caterer.com, the UK’s largest job board for the sector, according to figures out 1 May. In addition, the number of jobs advertised increased by 16%, equivalent to an increase of more than 37,000 compared to the same quarter (Q4) in 2013, highlighting further year end growth for 2014.
The findings are revealed in Caterer.com’s latest report, which also indicates a continued growth of mid-level salaries. In Q4, the share of salaries between £30,000 and £34,000 grew by 29%, whilst there was a noticeable decline in advertised salaries under £20,000, falling in share by 12%.
The report revealed a number of key trends over the last 12 months to Q4 2014.
Regional Growth
Whilst London and the South East remain strong, making up 55% of jobs advertised, regions experienced significant growth. Jobs advertised in the West of England and Wales grew by 25%, whilst those advertised in the North and Scotland rose by 16%, suggesting that positive growth is visible right across the UK, and not necessarily just in the capital.
UK hotel scene upbeat
There were a number of high profile hotel openings such as the Chiltern Firehouse in London and the Pig near Bath, which fuelled job growth in the sector. The number of jobs advertised in the sector supports the ongoing growth in hotels, with jobs increasing by 12% over the last 12 months, representing 67,689 jobs advertised over the year.
Quarterly festive growth
During Q4 2014, roles advertised under catering staff grew 49%, to around 500 jobs, in part due to greater demand for catering over the seasonal period compared to Q4 2013. In contrast, the number of sales and marketing roles advertised fell significantly by 11%, perhaps linked to the decline in salary for these roles.
Positive trends across hospitality
Commenting on the findings, Neil Pattison, Sales Director, Caterer.com said:
‘The UK continued to witness further promising signs of growth throughout 2014, which is reflected in the positive trends we see here for the hospitality industry. This optimism is not only confined to London and the South East, but across other regions too, and many employees across the UK are currently benefiting from this economic uplift.’
Commenting on the state of the nation for the hospitality industry, Ufi Ibrahim, CEO, British Hospitality Association, said:
“What sets the hospitality industry apart from the others? It’s our people, it’s their spirit of generosity, it’s their passion for service to others, and their sense of community. The hospitality industry and our success thrive on the passion for service of our 3 million strong workforces. As the UK’s 4th largest employer, serving over 150 million customers last year, the BHA has been leading the industry’s flagship campaign – the Big Hospitality Conversation – to inspire our industry’s future generation of leaders. Thanks to the active engagement of over 1,500 BHA members, we have collectively created over 42,000 new career starts for under 25s across the UK.”
The quarterly Hospitality Employment Index report from Caterer.com is available to download free of charge here