Jobseekers’ searches suggest NHS is battling declining interest in nursing careers

Jobseekers’ interest in applying for nursing roles has slumped by almost a fifth in the past two years, a new study suggests.

Searches for nursing jobs have fallen in some of the UK’s biggest cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester, said jobs site Indeed.

In the two years to October, searches for nursing jobs fell by over 17%, suggesting the election promises of recruiting large numbers of staff could be “challenging”.

Bill Richards, UK managing director of Indeed, said: “Nurses are the bedrock of the NHS, providing vital support in hospitals and GP surgeries, but with an 11% vacancy rate, even a small fall in jobseeker interest makes an enormous difference to staffing levels.

“Filling nurse vacancies is already proving a challenge, and our data shows the NHS is battling declining interest in nursing.

“The UK unemployment level is at just 3.8%, its lowest in four decades, meaning employers often have to woo recruits away from their current jobs.”

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