Job vacancies in the charity sector are above pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.
The State of Charity Recruitment - How Covid-19 impacted charity recruitment, carried out by CharityJob, shows that there are more than 40,000 paid charity jobs available on the job website, and suggests that the charities are struggling to fill the roles.
“The UK charity jobs market has experienced enormous changes during the time of the pandemic, from the low point of the first lockdown to the current high. Whether or not the pandemic will bring about long-term change remains to be seen, but it is likely that the impact will be felt for some time yet,” the report reads.
It shows that there was a reduction in the number of vacancies in the sector, following the first 2020 lockdown.
The number of jobs posted on CharityJob fell from over 4,000 in January 2020 to fewer than 1,000 in March 2020.
However, CharityJob states that it has seen a steady recovery throughout 2020 and early 2021. Postings in April 2021 were more than 300% above April 2020.
It also reveals that there is a “clear negative correlation between the number of jobs and the average number of applications - when the number of jobs fall, the average number of applications rise.”
“While staff shortages are being experienced across several sectors of the economy, the charity sector has remained relatively positive. Currently, the average number of applications per job is slightly lower than before the pandemic – certainly not reflective of the desperate staff shortages in other sectors,” it adds.
Indeed, although vacancies in the sector fell and bounced back, the number applying to these jobs has done the opposite.
In May 2020 an average of more than 100 people applied to each job on CharityJob. In July 2021 it was down to 24.
'It’s great that the sector appears to be recovering'
The report also found salaries have remained fairly consistent, although pay by different causes has changed, with average annual salaries in international development falling by nearly £1,500.
During the height of the initial lockdown, salaries grew slightly due to a reduction in the total number of jobs advertised and a greater proportion of fixed-term contract roles, which tend to have higher salaries.
Average salaries peaked at nearly £35,000 compared to the lowest point of £32,500.
For the first time, there are also more job postings outside of London than in the capital. Remote-working jobs are now at three times pre-pandemic levels, yet the best paid jobs remain in London.
Steve Wexler, founder and chief executive of CharityJob said: “It’s great that the sector appears to be recovering after the difficulties we have all faced over the last eighteen months. The fact that so many charities are recruiting hopefully means that they are putting the uncertainties of the pandemic behind them.
“The shortage of candidates is a concern, as charities that can’t fill their vacancies might be unable to do vital work.”
