England's North-South Job Market Divide 'Dramatically Widens' on Construction Boom

England's north-south job market divide has "dramatically widened" on the back of a construction boom in the south, according to new research.

Nine out of the ten best cities to find a job were in the south of England in October, while nine of the worst ten cities were in the north, according to jobs website Adzuna.

The company's UK Job Market Report also revealed it was 100 times more difficult to get a job in Salford (28 jobseekers per vacancy) than in Cambridge (0.28 jobseekers per vacancy) over the same period.

The growth in vacancies has been helped by a dramatic increase in the trade and construction sector, according to Adzuna.

The number of advertised construction vacancies increased by almost a third (31%) compared to just six months ago.

Construction accounts for more than 6.3% of the UK's economic output and its growth is reflective of a sustained economic pick-up.

But Adzuna said the construction boom has also widened the North-South divide, with many of the largest infrastructure projects creating jobs in the South of England.

"The booming construction sector has driven a wedge in the national job market, and split the North-South divide wide open," explained Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna.

He added: "Construction has been kick-started by a major infrastructure overhaul in the south, with vacancies focussed mainly in these regions.

"This stark divide is set to widen further when projects such as the Thames Tideway begin in the south."

The research found in London the number of construction vacancies was 95% higher year-on-year in October, whilst in the South East, advertised vacancies increased by 89%.

The overall the UK jobs market improved in October, with a marked increase in the number of advertised vacancies, according to the study.

There were 748,923 vacancies in total, a 9.2% increase from the previous year, and a 5.3% increase compared to September - the biggest monthly increase in over a year.

But despite widespread optimism, the research revealed wages are still flat.

Adzuna said average advertised salaries in October fell 2.2% from September to just £33,245 ($53,916, €39,703).

The study found this is 1.3% lower than last October, meaning that the average British worker is £1,179 worse off in real terms this winter.

"Wages are still recovering from the economic downturn, and are slipping further behind the cost of living, as employers keep a cap on advertised salaries," claimed Hunter.