While the latest ONS figures show that vacancies grew in the first quarter of this year, more recent data indicates that job numbers in logistics and transportation are beginning to slow, with figures dropping by 54% between March and April 2022. With application numbers also continuing to decline, these statistics suggest that the lack of resources across the UK is impacting job growth across the sector. That’s according to the latest data from the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology.

The statistics also revealed that the logistics and transportation sector saw an even more concerning fall in applications, with decreases of 77% between March and April of this year, and 77%, when comparing April 2022 with April 2021. While this is cause for concern, it’s perhaps unsurprising given the widely documented talent scarcities reported in the sector.

Alex Fourlis, Managing Director at Broadbean Technology, commented:

“The UK’s skills crisis is continuing to be a focal issue for the logistics and transportation sector, and for good reason as our data shows that applications are dropping at a concerning rate. With a combination of Brexit and Covid accelerating the need for, and decline of, supply chain candidates, the sector has faced a significant resourcing struggle. Given the dearth of available resources, there’s a high chance that this drop in new vacancies is simply a sign that businesses cannot fill roles they’ve had open for some time and are unlikely to add any more roles if they cannot meet the current operational needs.”

“For employers and recruiters, now is a critical time. Businesses need to rebuild and nurture dwindling talent pools, utilise innovative technology and maximise partnerships with external talent suppliers in order to find the resources that are needed. Difficult times are ahead for the UK economy, and we need a recruitment market that can best support economic growth.”