THE TECHNOLOGY and life sciences sectors remain unscathed by the pandemic, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).
It reported nearly one in every five vacancies in the South East last year was in the technology and life sciences industry.
The Association said hiring in the region has fallen by 31% year-on-year due to the pandemic, while technology and life sciences firms bucked the trend by posting just under 1,300 vacancies last year.
Across the South East, hiring fell by nearly 50% in the retail and consumer goods sector.
Moya Rylands, membership director at APSCo, said: “To see vacancies drop year-on-year and the decline in hiring across sectors such as retail and consumer goods, that effectively had to shut down during the early days of the pandemic, comes as no surprise.
“However, we can see pockets of activity that have bolstered hiring across the region.”
Vacancies in January of this year were higher than in both 2019 and 2020, climbing by 12.6%.
Ms Rylands said this figure is “positive” for the region and hopes the government’s roadmap out of lockdown will pave the way for economic regrowth.