A new report has said the jobs market has continued to grow, with the recovery being led by the construction and property sector.

The Reed Job Index, which is compiled using data from around 150,000 and more than 10,000 employers advertised on reed.co.uk, revealed that in July 2013, there was a 17% year-on-year growth in job opportunities. Opportunities within the construction and property sector increased by 92% from July 2012.

The report found that growth has been steady throughout 2013, with the July Job Index six points higher than the year to date average (155). Other sectors which showed substantial increases year on year were training (62%), education (51%) and leisure and tourism (51%).


In addition, Scotland had the greatest growth opportunities year-on-year for the second consecutive month, with an increase of 35% on July 2012.

Commenting on the latest figures, James Reed, chairman of reed.co.uk, said: "The jobs market is one of the first indicators of the health of the economy and it has shown continued growth during 2013. We are now seeing wider signs that the UK is on the road to recovery and these numbers underline that.

"Given recent statistics, which show an annual rise in property prices for all regions of the UK for the first time in over five years, it isn't too surprising that jobs growth in the construction and property sector has been so significant. It will be interesting to see how these figures move during the course of the year, as the influence of Government support through schemes such as Help to Buy becomes clearer."

(JP/IT)