Local Newspapers Strongest For Recruitment Ads
Regional press is the leading source of information for job-seeking readers, according to new research from the Newspaper Society, with a study finding over half of respondents turning to their local newspaper first for information on the latest vacancies.
51% of people questioned said that they would turn to their local newspaper as the first port of call when looking for a new job, nearly six times as many as second choice, Jobcentre Plus at 9%.
The findings also show a high success rating for the medium, with 23% of people having found their current or last job from a regional newspaper. This was second only to word of mouth at 30%.
Overall, 47% of people had applied for a job advertised in their local newspaper over the past two years.
The survey was conducted for the Newspaper Society by Human Capital. Tim Ewington, the firm’s founding director said: “Regional newspapers and their online services have long been an essential meeting place for people to seek out local employers. I can remember my Dad buying the Yorkshire Evening Post each Thursday just to keep an eye out for interesting new opportunities. The results prove very interesting reading and confirmed the role and strength of local newspapers.
The study, which questioned 8,000 consumers aged 16-60 across the UK, aims to help agencies and advertisers better understand the recruitment-advertising environment, as well as identifying the importance of different communications channels amongst jobseekers.
Recruitment advertising has been the regional press industry’s dominant advertising revenue driver for a decade according to the Newspaper Society, with the strong community presence of regional newspapers providing a highly effective and trusted environment for advertisers.
Regional recruitment advertising was worth £892 million in 2004, representing around 30% of total advertising revenues.
Robert Ray, marketing director at the Newspaper Society said: “Recruitment Choice demonstrates that the regional press has a very strong position in the recruitment advertising market, and that by embracing new technology and investing in websites, it is holding its own. People like to work close to home, and because of this, the regional press is the dominant port of call for people looking for work.”
The Newspaper Society: 020 7693 0408 www.newspapersoc.org.uk