Using data from its own files, leading UK jobs site CV-Library revealed job postings and applications dropped by 11.2% and 11.6% respectively in March – but there are exceptions. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool’s job market has taken a severe hit from the coronavirus outbreak, new figures confirm.

Using data from its own files, CV-Library, a leading UK jobs site, revealed job postings and applications dropped by 11.2% and 11.6% respectively in March, compared to the previous month.

And the same comparison with March 2019 shows vacancies have dropped by 5.7% while applications have fallen by 18.8%. Interestingly, the amount of people registering their CVs online in Liverpool jumped up 11.2% year-on-year and 8.8% month-on-month. 

However, while sector such as hospitality have faced a total shutdown, there has been a year-on-year rise in vacancies in other sectors, including public sector (up 103.7%), agriculture (up 98.7%), social care (up 17.9%), education (up 2.9%) and distribution (up 2.1%).

Lee Biggins, chief executive and founder of CV-Library which holds a database of 15m CVs, said: “It’s not surprising that the outbreak of COVID-19 has prevented businesses in Liverpool from moving forward with their hiring plans.

“With global supply chains disrupted and many organisations forced to close their doors in order to respect social distancing rules, companies have had to change the way they operate and adapt to this new normal.

“Sadly, this has involved placing existing employees on furlough and even making redundancies and many professionals are feeling the effects.  The national unemployment rate is set to soar in April and there’s no doubt that this will be a really tricky time for job seekers across the city.

“However, it’s important to use this time to prepare for your job search. Make sure you keep your CV up to date and keep an eye out for opportunities on a regular basis. This isn’t forever and businesses will regain their confidence eventually.”