These are the top UK cities to find a job in (nope, London is not number one)

Careers


These are the top UK cities to find a job in (nope, London is not number one)

By Amy Swales

9 years ago

Looking for a new job? It might be time to consider a relocation along with your career overhaul, as the UK’s top cities for job-hunting have been named.

The list was put together based on the average number of jobs available over 2016 and while one might expect London to top the list – especially given how familiar some of us are with those pub lectures about how the capital is where you have to be – the top two are actually pretty damned far from the Watford Gap.



Liverpool (pictured in main image) was named the city most likely to have the most jobs going in 2017, with a 23% rise in advertised vacancies over last year.

Edinburgh came second with a rise of 20%, while London came in third, having available jobs go up 19%.

Another Scottish city, Glasgow, appeared on the list (which you can see in full below) with a 13% rise, and Wales got one in the top 10 with Cardiff.

The data, from independent job site cv-library.co.uk, also revealed the careers competition you’ll face in these cities, with job applications rising by 24% in Liverpool, 10% in Edinburgh and 9% in London.

Birmingham had an increase of 35% in job applications in 2016, but doesn’t appear in the top 10 for jobs available – probably as in the past couple of years it’s been top choice for skint Londoners looking for somewhere more affordable and last year was named the third happiest city in the UK to work in.



Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of cv-library.co.uk, comments: “It’s great to see the job markets in these key UK cities performing so well, and it’s particularly good news for local job hunters who are looking for work this January.

“Furthermore, it’s clear that job growth was witnessed across the south, north and Wales, which is a positive indication that business confidence is strong across the nation.”

Of course, the figures are based on all jobs available so it goes without saying that there’s no guarantee there’s something for you in your city of choice (and actually landing the job is still down to your own individual skill sets, sorry about that) but it’s encouraging and interesting reading nonetheless.

If you’re looking to switch jobs in 2017, scroll below the list to find our essential guide to landing your dream career.

Top UK cities for job-hunting

  1. Liverpool – up 23%
  2. Edinburgh – up 20%
  3. London – up 19%
  4. Southampton – up 18%
  5. Portsmouth – up 18%
  6. Manchester – up 17%
  7. Hull – up 15%
  8. Cardiff – up 14%
  9. Glasgow – up 13%
  10. Bristol – up 13%

Your essential guide to a career overhaul

Get inspired
Can’t quite decided what direction to head in? Check out the best 25 companies to work for in 2017 and the women who thought outside the box and traded 9-5 for a life less ordinary. Need a boost? We gathered advice from the most influential and successful women we could find. Want to escape the office? Have a look at the highest-paid jobs you can do from home and the women who managed to launch their own businesses while working full-time.

Stay motivated
Is your enthusiasm for job-hunting starting to flag? Stay motivated with a plan – an actual written plan you can hold in your hand. It helps you focus on what you’re looking for and how to get there. Create a ‘brag file’ too – a list of things you can turn to that remind you you’re worth something. Testimonials, references, even texts from friends and family. Click here for 10 ways to stay motivated during the job search.

Ace the interview
There are several tricks to interviewing well and they can be as simple as the ‘triple nod’ and having good posture – 38% of hiring managers say they've eliminated candidates after an interview because of a lack of smiling and engagement during a conversation and because of their bad posture. Click here for job interview tips.

Improve what you’ve got
Want to improve your current job situation with a promotion or a raise? There are phrases you should never use when having the dreaded money conversation and ways of getting promoted through action not words. Click here for how to nail that promotion, or here to find out how to start any awkward work email.

If all else fails…
Sack off the career ladder.

Images: iStock

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