Number of design jobs in UK set to double
07/19/2010 The design sector in the UK is seeing strong signs of renewed confidence, according to the new European Market Eye report from the industry’s specialist recruitment consultancy Aquent.
The design sector in the UK is seeing strong signs of renewed confidence, according to the new European Market Eye report from the industry’s specialist recruitment consultancy Aquent.
The survey of design agencies found that the number of organisations taking on more permanent staff is expected to double, with 62% expecting to recruit over the next six months compared to just over 30% of companies reporting an increase in headcount over the last half a year. Salaries are also set to rise with 35% of agencies predicting an increase over the next six months.
The rest of the marketing and design sector is also growing, with over 60% of companies expecting an increase in permanent staff. The digital sector seems to be leading the way in this recovery, with 45% of digital agencies predicting a rise in salaries and a massive 80% predicting a further rise in employees.
Elsewhere in Europe, there are also positive signs in France. 40% of design agencies are expecting to award pay rises over the next six months and the number of companies recruiting looks set to triple; increasing from just one in five hiring during the last six months, to three in five during the rest of 2010. The recovery is more gradual in the Netherlands, with just 20% predicting an increase in salaries and 30% predicting a rise in staff, a figure which shows no change from the previous six months.
“The UK marketing and design sector was hit hard by the global downturn and after 18 months of little hiring across the industry, we’re certainly now seeing signs of recovery and the market hotting up” comments Peter Geary, Aquent’s UK Regional Director. “It seems as though companies are now beginning to invest in these services again, and the jobs market is reflecting that. It is very reassuring to see these measurable signs of confidence returning and companies beginning to plan for the future again.”