Economic Activity And Social Change In The UK Real-time Indicator - 22 August 2024 - Scottish Job Ads Plummet

22nd August 2024

The number of transactions at Pret A Manger stores decreased in 7 of the 10 location categories monitored in the week to 8 August 2024; the largest decrease was seen in Manchester stores, falling by 9% when compared with the previous week (Pret A Manger). Section 3: Consumer behaviour.

The total number of online job adverts on 16 August 2024 was 16% lower than the equivalent period of 2023 (Adzuna). Section 4: Business and workforce.

A net 2% of firms reported increased turnover in July 2024 when compared with the previous month, up 2 percentage points from June 2024 (HM Revenue and Customs Value Added Tax returns). Section 4: Business and workforce.

More than 1 in 5 (21%) trading businesses reported an increase in the prices of goods or services bought in July 2024 when compared with June 2024, while less than 1 in 10 (8%) reported an increase in the prices of goods or services sold (final results from wave 114 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey).

Both the System Average Price (SAP) of gas and the System Price of electricity decreased in the week to 18 August 2024 when compared with the equivalent week of 2023, down 7% and 12% respectively (National Gas Transmission, Elexon). Section 5: Energy.

The daily average number of UK flights was broadly unchanged in the week to 18 August 2024 when compared with the previous week but was 4% higher than the equivalent week of 2023 (EUROCONTROL). Section 6: Transport.

Consumer behaviour
Transactions at Pret A Manger
The number of transactions at Pret A Manger stores decreased in 7 of the 10 location categories monitored in the week to 8 August 2024 when compared with the previous week. The largest decrease was in Manchester, falling by 9%. For the remaining three location categories, the number of week-on-week transactions increased in one and remained unchanged in the other two.

When compared with the equivalent week of 2023, the number of in-store transactions at Pret A Manger stores decreased in 9 of the 10 location categories monitored and remained unchanged in one. The largest decrease was in Manchester, falling by 21%.

Business and workforce
Online job adverts
Figure 1: The total number of online job adverts on 16 August 2024 increased by 2% when compared with the previous week and was 16% lower than the equivalent week of 2023.

The total number of online job adverts in the latest week was 16% lower than the equivalent period of 2023. Adverts in all UK countries and English regions were lower than the equivalent period of 2023, with the largest year-on-year decline occurring in Scotland at 32%.

The total number of online job adverts was lower in 25 of the 28 job categories when compared with the equivalent period of 2023. The categories with the largest year-on-year declines were in "Construction and trades" and "Admin, clerical and secretarial", which were 49% and 47% lower, respectively.

Graph
Figure 1: The total number of online job adverts on 16 August 2024 increased by 2% when compared with the previous week and was 16% lower than the equivalent week of 2023
Volume of online job adverts, non-seasonally adjusted, UK, 7 February 2018 to 16 August 2024

Read the full ONS article HERE