Hays Reveals UK Procurement Job Vacancies Rise by a Third in the Past Year

LONDON, December 5, 2011 -

Figures compiled by Hays Procurement, the leading recruiting expert, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) show that there has been a significant increase in demand and reward for procurement and supply management professionals during the course of the past year.  

Data from Hays Procurement shows that the number of procurement and supply chain job vacancies has risen significantly, with 33 per cent more jobs advertised in Q2 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Vacancies for Procurement Officers increased most sharply (200%) followed by Senior Buyers (110%) and Procurement Managers (75%).

The highest concentration of job vacancies is in the South East (22%) and London (18%), followed by the Midlands (12%) and the South West (12%), with growth strongest in the automotive manufacturing jobs sector, up an average of 73% per quarter in the first half of the year.

Whilst overall five out of six available procurement jobs remain within private companies there was a notable increase in the number of public sector vacancies, with an average 29% increase in the first two quarters of 2011. This is despite otherwise high rates of job cuts in the public sector, which are predicted to reach 610,000 by 2014/15 at current rates, but also perhaps because of increased pressures within the public sector to reduce costs.

These increases are also reflective of an on-going trend of procurement becoming recognised as a high-level strategic function within organisations during the past decade, shown particularly in terms of salary increases. According to Hays Procurement the number of senior procurement jobs with advertised salaries of between £75,000 and £100,000 per annum rose by 35% in the first half of 2011.

Similarly, 60 per cent of respondents to the CIPS/Supply Management Profile of the Profession Survey earlier this year, reported that their salary had increase in the past 2 years. An overwhelming 86% said their procurement department was doing more than it was 5 years previously, and 39% said they report to a higher level of the company than they did 5 years ago.

David Noble, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply said: “The financial crisis and continuing uncertainties weighing on the global economy, have led many companies to review their business strategies and to expand parts of their operations that ultimately help them to reduce costs and ensure the sustainability of future growth. Meanwhile, recent scrutiny of government procurement strategies has led to more strategic employment in the sector.”

With an average twenty (19.65) applicants per procurement and supply chain job, compared to an average thirty (30.40) for human resources jobs, and thirty-one (31.09) for non-qualified finance jobs, the data from Hays also suggests that there may be comparatively attractive opportunities as well as higher demand for candidates, particularly those who may be looking to switch careers.

Meanwhile, 94% of procurement professionals surveyed for the CIPS/Supply Management survey earlier in the year, said that they would recommend purchasing and supply as a career.

About Hays:

Hays plc (the “Group”) is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

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