Skills Funding Agency
Unemployed people seeking work feel more confident about their chances of finding work in 2015, than they did in the previous year, according to the fifth quarterly National Careers Service Job Confidence Index published today.
Two-thirds of unemployed people seeking work, (66%) now think they have the skills and qualifications they need to find a job, an increase of 8 percentage points on the previous year. And more than half, (57%) say they have the right experience, an increase of 10 points.
The research also reveals that unemployed people who are seeking work feel confident about developing a CV (76%), writing a job application (65%), and attending interviews (45%).
The Index, based on polling by ICM Unlimited, analyses the state of the nations work and employment prospects. Amongst the unemployed, the index has increased by 1 to 46.6 out of 100, on the previous years results. Across the population as a whole, the nations job confidence has increased by 2.4 points to 55.9 out of 100 .
The research also found that confidence varies according to age and gender. For example, young peoples confidence in the job market has increased by a quarter (26%) over the previous year. Amongst the 18-24 year old age group, 60% have applied for jobs, 59% have updated their CV and almost half (47%) have attended an interview.
People aged between 55-64 on the other hand are less confident about their chances, with only 13% saying that their confidence increased over the past year.
Overall, men feel more confident than women about finding work with 40% of men confident about their chances of finding a job if they were unemployed, compared with 34% of women.
Joe Billington, Director of the National Careers Service said:
It is great news that some people seeking work are feeling more confident about their chances. However, there will be people out there that are struggling to find employment.
There are some immediate things people can do, such as tailoring their CV for each application, and looking at whether they can re-train or learn new skills, and the National Careers Service is here to help.
Anyone can access free, impartial advice from trained careers advisers via our telephone hotline, or by looking at the National Careers Service website.
Eve Leadley, 28, from Sunderland, had been unemployed for a few months before contacting the National Careers Service for advice.
Now a Young Person Project Officer, Eve said:
After losing my job I had been volunteering and working part-time but my future career path was very hazy and I wanted some help with a new direction and finding full-time work.
My National Careers Service adviser helped me to increase my confidence and gave me the extra boost I needed in my job search. My adviser helped me with my interview skills and we completed an action plan together.
I havent looked back since. I underwent a complete career change from estate work to tutoring young people and I love my challenging new role.
I would encourage anyone who is faced with redundancy or uncertainty about their future to contact the National Careers Service for help. They can make a big difference.
ICM Unlimited interviewed a representative sample of 4,087 adults aged 16+ across England. Interviews were conducted online between 21 and 27 November 2014. Get in touch with the National Careers Service by calling 0800 100 900 or search online.