Supply chain and logistics vacancies climb 45 percent amid competition

Jobs in UK supply chain & logistics are increasing sharply, according to new research from one of the UK’s leading professional specialist recruiters.

Q2 data from the Robert Walters UK Jobs Index, which charts vacancy numbers posted to online platforms, shows year-on-year openings for supply chain & logistics professionals rising by 45 percent.

Added to data from the first quarter where year-on-year vacancies grew 38 percent in volume, the figures point to a strong upward trend in supply chain & logistics recruitment.

The impressive performance of the industries strikes a further note of optimism. Midlands employers contributed hugely to the national increase, adding 52 percent more supply chain & logistics jobs since the second quarter of 2013.  Across the same period, meanwhile, vacancy levels in the North West jumped by over 40 percent.

Neil Morgan, Manager of Supply Chain & Logistics Recruitment at Robert Walters UK, said: “These figures have sparked a high level of confidence among supply chain & logistics professionals, many of whom are now signalling their desire to move onto new and exciting challenges.

“Demand is particularly strong for middle management professionals and directors with the ability to reduce working capital and improve bottom line profitability. This has been recorded across all sectors, with the FMCG and pharmaceutical industries the most buoyant.

“With confidence continuing to grow across the market, we expect to see a continuation of this trend in the second half of 2014.”

With this confidence building across the wider economy, projects that had been put on hold are being implemented, creating fresh demand for supply chain professionals.

The FMCG and pharmaceutical industries remain the most buoyant, with many companies in these sectors able to take advantage of strong international brands and stable underlying markets.
There has been also a rise in logistics recruitment, especially for professionals who offer strong warehousing experience, including restructuring and investment into new warehousing or adding extra capacity to meet increased demand.

Robert Walters is one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies. Established in 1985, the Group has built a global presence with 53 offices spanning 24 countries.

The Robert Walters Job Index tracks advertising volumes across leading job boards in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Index was launched in Q1 2013.

For more information, visit: http://www.robertwalters.co.uk/news/supply_chain_vacancies_rise_over_40_percent.html