Applications for social care jobs drop, despite increase in opportunities and salaries

The amount of jobs on offer in the social care sector jumped by 4.8% last month, as employers pushed to hire the best candidates. That’s according to the latest job market data from CV-Library, which compared findings from May 2019, with the same period last year. 

Employers are determined to maintain their hiring efforts this summer, which saw pay for new jobs in social care rise by 1.1%, making the average salary for social workers in the UK £26,322.  

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments on the findings: “It’s clear from our findings that social care organisations across the UK are continuing to push forward with their hiring efforts, in a bid to find the right people for their roles. Indeed, the job market is continuing to strengthen across the country, but we cannot ignore the fact that times are tough for the social care sector. 

“While salaries have risen, this may not be enough to tempt social workers to move jobs. The sector is undergoing cuts to funding right now, so job security is more important than ever. Employers have bumped up salaries, but they need to recognise that social workers are the backbone of the sector and that it’s necessary to invest time and training in staff as well.”  

Despite applications for new jobs in social care declining by 4.6%, candidate registrations rose by 33.2%. This indicates that although applications are relatively low, social workers are keeping their options open for their next career move.  

Biggins (pictured) concludes: “While candidate applications are down right now for the social care sector, this is hardly surprising given the extremely tight margins that social workers are dealing with right now. However, employers shouldn’t lose hope. As our data indicates, candidate interest is still high. 

“With funding cuts taking place, employers should focus on retaining staff by looking after their interests. That means offering internal training, investing in staff wellbeing and offering alternative perks. For now, social care organisations should continue with their recruitment efforts as usual, especially as the loss of EU migrants will put even more of a strain on this sector.”