The global labour market may be facing one of its most formidable challenges yet, with many sectors struggling to recruit. Some news outlets attribute this to a weak economy having an impact on labour markets and thus recruitment. Alarmingly, the number of individuals out of work has surged by over half a million than before the pandemic began. How does this affect the dental recruitment market?

Like many sectors, dental recruitment is facing an increasingly tough time and is struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The current UK government have announced a dental recovery plan set out to improve access for patients to dental care. As reported by the Quality Care Commission, the waiting lists for elective care surpassed 7 million individuals in June 2023, underscoring the pressing need for intervention.

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A significant contributing factor to this predicament is the scarcity of dentists in the labour market, creating ‘dental deserts' in more rural areas, discussed in this issue. In response, the current government have announced Golden Hellos in the form of £20,000 to encourage dentists to tackle the workload in these areas. But is this enough? And how are we all responsible for accelerating the labour market into a peak?

BDJ Jobs encourages recruiters to focus on the benefits of the role they are advertising, extending beyond monetary compensation. Factors such as team support, the role based in an idyllic location, and avenues for professional growth are all benefits that may compel a job seeker to apply for a role. By providing recruiters with the UK's largest dental audience, and a focus on the benefits that a job seeker may see, BDJ Jobs are seeing applications are increasing across the site. With an overall increase of 10% year on year.

If you are a jobseeker, you can find the latest dental vacancies on BDJ Jobs, as well as crucial careers advice such as creating the perfect CV and available education and training opportunities across the country.

BDA members receive up to £100 off on advertising for dentists/specialists and free listings for nurse and practice support vacancies.