APSCo figures show increase in permanent finance vacancies

The latest figures from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) have shown that the number of permanent vacancies in the financial services sector increased by 10% in the 12 months leading up to April 2018.

The research, which focuses on professional recruitment, also showed an increase in permanent placements in financial services, with an annual rise of 19%.

Stable

The figures showed a year-on-year rise of 9% in the number of candidates securing permanent jobs, while vacancies for permanent workers continued to be stable, with a drop of just 2% in the last month.

Financial services were the strongest of APSCo’s core sector groups, with the number of financial services contract professionals that were out on assignment rising by 1% in the year to April 2018 and demand for contractors in the sector increasing by 20%. Contract vacancies across all of the other sectors dropped by 9% year on year.

Advantages

The figures from APSCo come after a report from the Institute of Economic Affairs released earlier this month stated that the UK’s financial services sector has a bright future after Brexit if the UK is able to capitalise on its natural advantages of size, skill, creativity, language, law and time zone.

Commenting on the figures, APSCo’s Chief Executive Ann Swain said that despite the suggestion last week from the Bank of England that the UK economy is “past its peak”, the market for highly skilled talent is continuing to escalate.