September marked a notable decline in recruitment activities within the UK business travel sector, reflecting a broader trend of reduced placements throughout the travel industry. C&M Travel Recruitment, a specialist in the field, reported a 43% decrease in new job placements for business travel candidates compared to August.
This drop in business travel placements is part of a more extensive industry-wide trend, as overall job placements within the travel sector saw a 13% decrease between August and September. In addition, September 2023 saw the lowest number of job placements for the year, with a significant 59% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.
Furthermore, the number of available travel job openings hit a five-month low, declining by 45% from August to September. This figure also represented a stark 53% drop compared to September of the previous year.
Interestingly, while placements and new job opportunities experienced a dip, the number of new candidates entering the market increased by 3% from August to September. Nevertheless, this figure remains 12% lower than that of September 2022.
Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director of C&M Travel Recruitment, commented on the situation, saying, “Travel recruitment activity remains slower than we would traditionally expect at this time of year, but that also means there are fantastic opportunities for employers to access a wider talent pool by advertising their upcoming vacancies immediately. It’s always positive to see a rise in the number of people looking to work in the travel industry. Salaries are up by around 13% so far this year, and it’s vitally important that we promote the perks of working in travel and continue to do all we can to encourage candidates to join our industry.”
The corporate travel industry has grappled with a shortage of staff as it emerged from the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, these recent figures may indicate that the situation is beginning to ease, offering a glimmer of hope for the industry’s recovery.
