We analyse recruitment trends from our job distribution software and compile them for you in easy to read reports. Our reports include insightful news about different recruitment industry trends and factors influencing jobs posted and applications received from candidates. You can read them on the website, download or subscribe to our recruitment industry newsletter.

1. wave-rs.co.uk
RECRUITMENT
TRENDS REPORT
QUARTER 3 | 2023

2. Quarter 3 | 2023
Quarterly Snapshot
MONTH MOST
JOBS POSTED SEPTEMBER
MONTH MOST
APPLICATIONS SEPTEMBER
JOBS POSTED
APPLICATIONS
AVG. APP/JOB 14
+9%
+7%
QUARTER STATS (Compared with Q2 23) MOST ACTIVE INDUSTRY
IT & INTERNET IT & INTERNET
MOST JOBS POSTED
TUESDAY
(21%)
MOST JOBS POSTED
MOST APPLICATIONS
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from July to September 2023)
MONDAY
(18%)
MOST APPLICATIONS

3. Source: www.ons.gov.uk
Labour Market Overview - ONS
wave-rs.co.uk
989,000
NUMBER OF VACANCIES
75.5%
EMPLOYMENT RATE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
32,882,000
PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT
4.3%
21.1%
ECONOMIC INACTIVITY RATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Quarter 3 | 2023

4. wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from April to June 2023)
Quarter 3 | 2023
Job Posting & Applications by Quarter
Jobs Posted
Applications
Quarter 1
2023
Quarter 2
2023
Quarter 3
2023
Compared to 2022 quarterly average
0.4%
32%
26%
15%
-5% +2%
2022
APPLICATIONS
AVERAGE
2022
JOBS POSTED
AVERAGE

5. wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from July to September 2023)
Quarter 3 | 2023
Job Posting & Applications by Month
Jobs Posted
Applications
January
2023
February
2023
March
2023
April
2023
May
2023
June
2023
July
2023
August
2023
September
2023
Compared to 2022 monthly average
2022
APPLICATIONS
AVERAGE
2022
JOBS POSTED
AVERAGE
+5%
+32%
-3% +8% -18% -5%
+20%
+44%
+13%
+15%
+16% -3% 0% +8%
+18%
+11%
+24%
+42%

6. wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from July to September 2023)
Quarter 3 | 2023
Industries with Most Jobs & Applications
JOBS
POSTED
APPLICATIONS
18%
IT & Internet
15%
IT & Internet
17%
Health &
Nursing
15%
Education
7%
Manufacturing
6%
Public Sector
& Services
15%
Engineering
& Utilities
10%
Secretarial,
PAs & Admin
13%
Manufacturing
12%
Education

7. Average Application per Job by Industry
Banking
Insurance
Sales 41
Customer Services 39
Engineering & Utilities 39
152
155 Catering & Hospitality
Education
Public Sector & Services 6
Not For Profit & Charities 4
Health & Nursing 2
7
10
5 HIGHEST 5 LOWEST
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from July to September 2023)
Quarter 3 | 2023

8. Quarter 3 | 2023
Average Application per Job Board
26
9
9
96
41
40
GENERIC JOB BOARDS NICHE JOB BOARDS
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from July to September 2023)

9. Quarter 3 | 2023
Avg. Application per Job for Scheduled Jobs
Not Scheduled
Scheduled
Jobs Not Scheduled Scheduled Jobs
Overall
15
27
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)

10. Quarter 3 | 2023
Avg. Application per Job for Scheduled Jobs
Not Scheduled
Scheduled
Industry Breakdown
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)
Banking
Recruitment
Sales
Secretarial,
PAs & Admin
Engineering
& Utilities
Sales Finance Media, New Media
& Creative
Travel, Leisure
& Tourism
Human
Resources
IT &
Internet
Education Public Sector
& Services
Health &
Nursing
Customer
Services
Manufacturing Accountancy Property Construction Catering
& Hospitality
Social
Services
Not for Profit
& Charities
Retail &
Wholesale
Marketing
Advertising & PR
+213
+16
+75
+51
+42
+50
+19 +23
+38 +27
+84
+30
+109
+28
+85
+11
+92
+21
+7
+19
+3 +3 +10

11. Applications
Quarter 3 | 2023
Time to Apply for 7 Day Listings
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7+
25%
23%
12%
9%
6%
5%
4% 3%
13%
Days since job
was posted

12. Applications
Quarter 3 | 2023
Time to Apply for 30-42 Day Listings
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)
Days since job
was posted 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 42+
8%
10%
6%
5%
4%
3.8%
3.7%
3.4%
2.7%
2.3% 2.2% 2.1%
1.6%
1.1% 1% 1%
2.2%

13. Jobs Posted
Applications
20%
21%
20% 20%
17%
0.8% 0.8%
18% 18%
17%
16%
13%
9% 9%
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Quarter 3 | 2023
Jobs & Applications by Weekday
Percentage of total jobs
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)

14. Jobs Posted
Applications
Quarter 3 | 2023
Jobs & Applications by Time of the Day
Percentage of total jobs
wave-rs.co.uk
(Data collected via WaveTrackR from September 2022 to September 2023)
00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
15.7%
12.4%
6%
10%
2.3%
0.5%
3%
2%
1%
4%
6%
7% 7% 7% 7%
6%
7%
6%
5%
5% 5%
4% 4% 4%
3%
12.2%
9.2%
9.7% 9%
7.5%
3%
0.8%

15. wave-rs.co.uk
Candidate
Attraction
Technology