Job vacancies have reached their highest level since the start of the first lockdown - but there are big regional differences in the number of jobs on offer, a new study suggests.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said there were 1.36 million job adverts across the UK in the first week of November, the most since early March.
There are now higher numbers of job adverts than in March in half of the UK, the research indicated.
The jobs recovery is being led by North West England and Wales, but London is lagging behind.
Roles in construction, logistics and food and drink have recovered strongly, while hospitality and leisure remain at significantly lower levels than in March, said the REC.
Chief executive Neil Carberry said: "Unemployment and redundancy numbers earlier this week showed that this is a tough moment for our jobs market, but we also know that there are always jobs being created and as this data reveals, there is hope to be found in many places and sectors.
"What we need to do now is support businesses who can create jobs, and help people who have lost work to transition into those new roles.
"With the stark difference in demand across different regions, avoiding a skills mismatch will require serious planning.
"Government can help by reducing barriers to creating jobs through tax policy and regulatory change - like keeping the online right-to-work checking we have moved to in the pandemic."
