The number of job vacancies in the United Kingdom, specifically in England has decreased which is the lowest in more than three years.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, the fall in job vacancies could also reduce the hope that the UK economy will bounce back strongly from the recession that hit last year.

Data provided by Reed Recruitment and analysed by Bloomberg showed listings for open positions fell by almost a quarter in the three months to February compared to a year earlier. 

The number of applications rose by a fifth year-on-year for February, adding to evidence that what was once a red-hot labor market has cooled significantly.

It also indicates a difficult backdrop for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government to wage a campaign for reelection.

“Our latest data suggests a prolonged chill in the labour market, with 21 consecutive months of falling job postings and no strong indication of a bounce back happening this year,” said James Reed, chairman of the company that bears his name. 

“Reed’s accurate prediction stands in contrast with the Bank of England‘s misjudgment that a recession wasn’t likely.”

Reduction in visa approval

The data has adverse effects on immigrants including Nigerians relocating to the UK for greener pastures.

This indicates that Nigerians and other immigrants seeking jobs in the UK will face restrictions to have their documents approved as the number will reduced.

For instance, in a mid-2023 report from the UK government, Nigerians came second in the number of immigrants migrating to the UK. 

It said, “In the year ending June 2023, the top five non-EU nationalities for immigration flows into the UK were: Indian (253,000), Nigerian (141,000), Chinese (89,000), Pakistani (55,000) and Ukrainian (35,000).” 

The recent report then showed the number of Nigerians getting work visas to the UK in the year 2024 might reduce drastically based on the job vacancies reduction report by Bloomberg.

Jobs listed with Reed are down 45% for the three months through February from their peak at 362,000, the lowest level since late 2020 in the aftermath of the first Covid lockdown. 

There has been a broad-based slump spanning almost all of the sectors, with towns and cities in the usually prosperous south of England suffering the biggest declines.

Increase in deportation

Another aspect which the report can affect Nigerians living in the UK is deportation. When jobs are reduced, the jobless nationals might be deported as authorities will crack down on the people. 

Recently, the UK government announced early last year that illegal migrants would be deported, as Rishi Sunak-led government fights hard to make the European country more prosperous.