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Easter took its toll on the travel recruitment market with salaries falling for the first time this year, according to the latest figures.
On average, wages for all new jobs registered at the companies in April fell by 2.99% to £23,885 compared to March, with the three-month average figure also dipping by 0.24% to £24,345, the latest travel salary index from C&M Recruitment Consultancy and Chisholm & Moore Executive Recruitment shows.
The fall follows three months of consecutive rises, with salaries now back at the levels seen in December 2013. Numbers also remain down compared to the impressive figures seen in the first four months of last year.
The number of new jobs being made available and the number of candidates registering for roles also fell in the month, although much of these dips can be attributed to the Easter holiday period, which is traditionally one of the quietest for the travel recruitment sector, the travel recruitment firm said.
Easter fell three weeks later this year, pushing the holiday period from March in 2013 to April in 2014, meaning that year-on-year comparisons are a less accurate indicator than usual.
Sales director Barbara Kolosinska said: “The Easter break obviously hit the travel recruitment market in April, but average salaries were also affected by a dip in the number of mid-level jobs being made available.
“However, we actually saw a strong increase in the amount of executive jobs coming onto the market, while there was also a healthy number of new entry and intermediate vacancies in the month.
“There has been a strong annual increase in the number of new travel jobs being made available so far this year, but the number of candidates registering for new roles hasn’t been able to keep up with demand.
“Due to this reduced competition, it could now be a great time for quality candidates to re-enter the jobs market and look at the options available to them.”