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The number of job vacancies being advertised now outnumbers the amount of jobseekers in three out of five cities in the UK, according to new research by Adzuna.

The number advertised roles has increased by more than one million, reaching a post-recession record of 1,033,435 in April this year – a 25% increase year-on-year.

Less competition than ever before

In contrast, the number of graduates and professionals looking for work has dropped to less than 800,000 for the first time since the recession in 2008. With competition for jobs reaching an all-time low of 0.77 job seekers per vacancy, recent graduates have the pick of the job market.

This report – based on the data gathered from the Office for National Statistics – highlighted that the number of vacancies in skilled work has also increased, as employers have been advertising new roles at a much faster rate.

This increase is particularly apparent in the maintenance sector – witnessing a 38% increase – while the trade and construction industry saw a 28% rise year-on-year. This translates to 11,000 more job roles being advertised in April 2015 than during the same month in 2014.

Adzuna also located where the largest amount of vacancies had been advertised in the UK, with Cambridge being found to be the best city for graduates looking for work with just 0.1 job seekers per vacancy.

Cambridge was closely followed by Guildford (0.14), Reading (0.17), Oxford (0.19) and Winchester (0.25).

The most competitive cities in the UK were found to be Sunderland (5.28). Hull (4.2). Bradford (4.13), Rochdale (3.21) and The Wirral (3.08).

Andrew Hunter, Co-Founder of Adzuna, said the drop in the number of job seekers per vacancy means employers must search for the best talent they can find, which could take a longer amount of time.

If you’re a recent graduate looking for your next role, take a look at Discovery Graduates’ latest jobs today.