6th March 2025
The end of the furlough scheme in October 2021 caused many workers to fear the potential loss of employment.
Although some industries certainly did take a hit and had to let go of employees – growth across Marketing, Digital, and Technology sectors allowed human resources to score new opportunities in a competitive environment.
Early last year, Ross Clifford & Associates predicted that we’d see a rise in unemployment rates in 2022 due to the economic impacts of the pandemic.
This was not the case.
In fact, where we anticipated a 1.1% increase from 4.5% to 5.6% – the unemployment rate actually dropped to 4.1% according to the Office of National Statistics. Unemployment peaked at 5.2% in late 2020 and has been falling steadily ever since.
But how is this the case? In a country where thousands of businesses were forced to shut their doors for months on end, how have so many managed to sustain their employees?
They haven’t.
In 2021, there was a huge shift in labour forces, and the number of job vacancies from September-November rose to 1,219,000, where 13 of the 18 industry sectors showed record highs. Of those industries, Marketing, Digital, and Technology (which each experienced a huge surge in product and service demand during the pandemic) were recruiting for more positions than ever before – ranging from entry-level customer service roles right through to C-suite executives.
How Marketing Jobs Saved Unemployment Rates in 2021
The marketing sector in the UK has been growing steadily year on year, and a surge of demand in 2021 drove this even further. Businesses were forced to recruit marketing talent in order to help them sell in online marketplaces, and jobs such as Social Media Managers and Digital Marketing Specialists proved essential to the survivability of newly transformed companies. This helped many customer-facing roles, especially across the service sector, find new opportunities within a growing industry – even as restaurants and cafes closed their doors forever.
Number of Employed and Self-Employed Professionals in Sales and Marketing
How Digital Jobs Saved Unemployment Rates in 2021
Digital transformation became a top priority to 80% of UK businesses in 2021, and as a result, thousands of jobs became available last year. These positions include:
This created an opportunity for digital experts to pick up new skills and secure long-lasting employment across competitive global companies and even start-ups. This opened up entry-level positions in the digital sector as qualified talent looked to advance up the career ladder.
How Technology Jobs Saved Unemployment Rates in 2021
A record 2.3x investment in the technology sector opened up thousands of job opportunities across the UK, with Manchester listing 164.6% more tech jobs than years previous. As the technology industry came to terms with vast labour shortages across the world, more and more companies opened up entry roles (such as Web Developers and Help Desk Technicians), allowing smart candidates to gain vital skills that will be useful long into the future.
The Future of UK Employment Rates
Despite previous fears, the future of UK employment is looking positive, with Marketing, Digital, and Technology spending booming across the country – creating exciting job opportunities that will fuel the future of our economy. Currently, the UK is well-positioned for continued growth in these markets, boasting:
With so much potential for international investment and such high labour shortages across many skilled positions, it is unlikely that our unemployment rates will increase significantly over the next few years. Job seekers are encouraged to advance their digital proficiency even as businesses are recommended to recruit for potential, not experience.
About Ross Clifford & Associates
Forget everything you know about recruiters – traditional recruitment processes are broken. If you want to attract the top % of candidates there needs to be a different approach, and we can help you.
How?
We listen. We understand. We care.
With two decades in executive search, we’re entrenched in the sectors we cover and our knowledge runs deep. We use intelligent search methods to connect with top talent, allowing us to deliver time and time again. We don’t just provide CVs, we provide the talent and support to help your business grow.