Covid-19 job search - who is hiring people in the pandemic summer 2021?

The coronavirus pandemic has seen the UK fall into deep recession and spark the largest number of job losses for a decade - but what jobs are hiring as people look for new employment?
Person getting a new job after coronavirus Get the best start when looking for a new job by finding out the occupations most in need of new workers (Credit: Pexels.com)

Despite the damage reaped by Covid-19, August saw the year's biggest increase in online job vacancies, with some companies - such as Tesco - even seeing the crisis boosting trade.

So where should you start looking if you've been unfortunate enough to find your employment hit by the economic impact of the pandemic?

A good place to begin is looking at professions where there are shortages of workers - as laid out by the government's 'Shortage Occupation List'.

This list is used to offer work visas to people moving to the UK, and hightlights the occupations where workers are desperately required.

So, if you have existing skills, or are looking to retrain, this list is a great place to start - ensuring you're giving yourself the best chance of getting back into well-paid employment.

United Kingdom Shortage Occupation List

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and description	Job titles included on the United Kingdom Shortage Occupation List and further criteria
2112 Biological scientists and biochemists	All jobs in this occupation code
2113 Physical Scientists	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: The following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry: • engineering geologist • hydrogeologist • geophysicist The following jobs in the oil and gas industry: • geophysicist • geoscientist • geologist • geochemist • technical services manager in the decommissioning and waste areas of the nuclear industry • senior resource geologist and staff geologist in the mining sector
2114 Social and Humanities’ Scientists	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: Archaeologists
2121 Civil engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2122 Mechanical engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2123 Electrical engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2124 Electronics Engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2126 Design and development engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2127 Production and process engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
2129 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified	All jobs in this occupation code
2135 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers	All jobs in this occupation code
2136 Programmers and software development professionals	All jobs in this occupation code
2137 Web design and development professionals	All jobs in this occupation code
2139 Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified	Only the following job in this occupation code: • Cyber security specialist .
2211 Medical practitioners	All jobs in this occupation code
2212 Psychologists	All jobs in this occupation code
2216 Veterinarians	All jobs in this occupation code
2217 Medical Radiographers	All jobs in this occupation code
2222 Occupational therapists	All jobs in this occupation code
2223 Speech and language therapists	All jobs in this occupation code
2231 Nurses	All jobs in this occupation code
2314 Secondary education teaching professionals	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: • secondary education teachers in the subjects of maths, physics, science (where an element of physics will be taught), computer science and Mandarin
2425 Actuaries, economists and statisticians	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: • bio-informatician • informatician
2431 Architects	All jobs in this occupation code
2433 Quantity surveyors	All jobs in this occupation code
2442 Social workers	All jobs in this occupation code
2461 Quality control and planning engineers	All jobs in this occupation code
3213 Paramedics	All jobs in this occupation code
3411 Artist	All jobs in this occupation code
3414 Dancers and choreographers	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: • Skilled classical ballet dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom ballet companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or Wales) • Skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom contemporary dance companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or Wales)
3415 Musicians	Only the following jobs in this occupation code: • skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras. The orchestra must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by the Association of British Orchestras.
3416 Arts officers, producers and directors	All jobs in this occupation code
3421 Graphic designers	All jobs in this occupation code
5215 Welding trades	Only the following job in this occupation code: • high integrity pipe welder where the job requires three or more years’ related on-the-job experience
5434 Chefs	Only the following job in this occupation code: Skilled chef where: • the pay is at least £29,570 per year after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and • the job requires five or more years relevant experience in a role of at least equivalent status to the one they are entering; and • the job is not in either a fast food or standard fare outlet; and The job is in one of the following roles: • executive chef - limited to one per establishment • head chef - limited to one per establishment • sous chef - limited to one for every four kitchen staff per establishment • specialist chef - limited to one per speciality per establishment