Demand for STEM Talent at it’s lowest in Defence & Security since COVID

Peak demand October 2022

vacancies advertised

Demand peaked in October 2022 when top defence company’s were advertising a collective volume of 4510 vacancies (we know there were more but many duplicate vacancies were only advertised once)

-0%

… decline in demand throughout 2023

Throughout 2023, demand slowly declined back to 3000 vacancies advertised by the same organisations.

-0%

… advertised vacancies downturn in March 2024

We really saw a significant downturn in March 2024 when the advertised vacancies reduced to 2600 as anticipation for a general election and new government began.

-0%

… fluctuation in demand since March 2024 to present

Demand has remained very low at between 2300 and 2600 each month since March 2024 to present

Advertised Vacancy Volume by company Oct 2022 and Oct 2023

UK Defence sector vacancies
36 month peak
Peak month
Jan 2024
Sep 2024
Current v's Peak%
BAE
551
Jun '23
425
421
76%
Boeing
244
Oct '22
74
47
19%
Lockheed Martin
109
Jan '23
57
26
24%
Airbus
533
Oct '22
197
220
41%
MBDA
348
Aug '22
270
239
69%
Leonardo
411
Feb '24
401
254
62%
Thales
283
Jan '23
268
115
41%
Ultra
134
Nov '22
114
50
37%
QinetiQ
467
Nov '22
168
78
17%
Raytheon
297
Nov '22
128
69
23%
Babcock
525
Sep '22
409
336
64%
Northrop Grumman
99
Nov '22
52
19
19%
L3Harris
103
Nov '22
58
45
44%
Roke Manor
120
Apr '23
81
64
53%
Rolls Royce
200
Oct '22
80
82
41%

What does it all mean?

The Defence & Security sector is still hiring but organisations are unwilling to compete on salary and candidates are still seeking above inflation increases. This just means there is less movement, with attrition reducing across the sector and recruitment levels remaining subdued.

Expectation is increasing across the sector for a huge boom in demand once the Strategic Defence Review is completed. It may take a couple of months to happen but expectations are that from April 2025 the market will become very competitive again and could supersede the demand from 2022.

Great opportunity exists to beat the competition and hire now while the market is less competitive. Where this isn’t possible, organisations can get ahead with consistent and pro-active talent engagement to build buy-in and interest in their employer brand, ready for a clear hiring plan in 2025.

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