Using data from its own files, one of the biggest job sites in the UK, CV-Library, discovered that in real terms average salaries were up £3,688 to £34,413 compared to February 2018. Tony McDonough reports

White collar salaries in Liverpool saw a 12% rise in February as employers in the struggled to find people with the right skills, a new study reveals.

Using data from its own files, one of the biggest job sites in the UK, CV-Library, discovered that in real terms average salaries were up £3,688 to £34,413 compared to February 2018.

Liverpool was also one of the few northern cities to see positive vacancy growth, with 2.3% more jobs being advertised last month. However, this growth was 1.4% percentage points less than the national average.

Lee Biggins, founder and chief executive of CV-Library, said: “The labour market is extremely tight right now and has been for some time. It’s no wonder then that employers across the city are slowing down their hiring efforts, particularly when the government still hasn’t negotiated on an effective plan for Brexit.  

“What’s more, while rising wages are in no doubt a massive pull-factor for candidates, businesses across Liverpool cannot ignore the fact that employees’ expectations have begun to shift.

“As such, money is no longer the most effective way of appealing to new talent, particularly when there is so much uncertainty across the UK.”

The data, which explored job market activity in February 2019 and compared it with data from the same period last year, found that applications for new roles fell by 9.5% last month, putting local employers in a very compromising position.

Mr Biggins added: “It’s no secret that there’s a mass talent shortage across the UK, exacerbated by the fact that EU net migration is at the lowest it’s been in 10 years. That said, net migration from outside the UK is the highest it’s been since 2004 and it’s hoped that this will bring a fresh source of talent to UK employers.”