Hundreds of thousands of jobs are lying unfilled across the UK, as shortages of skilled labour in certain sectors takes hold.

Employers are struggling to fill posts for engineers, nurses, developers, teachers and chefs, vacancy data for April from Adzuna's website reveals.

At the last count, 40 out of 56 cities see more jobs than job-seekers, but the number of posts for manufacturing, retail and logistics and warehouse roles has fallen in recent months.

Shortage: There is a shortfall of 1.8million engineers across the UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering say

The top 10 sectors where skilled job-hunters stand a decent chance of snapping up a role as high vacancy rates continue are as follows:

1. ENGINEER

Billionaire inventor James Dyson has warned that the UK is heading for 'economic suicide' as the take up rate for jobs in engineering plummets.

According to recent figures from the Royal Academy of Engineering, there is a shortfall of 1.8million engineers across the UK 

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Philip Greenish, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, told This is Money: 'Engineering accounts for 25% of gross value added for the UK economy and manufactured goods account for some 50% of UK exports.'

He added: 'There are a range of factors that contribute to the skills shortage, including poor perceptions and lack of interest in engineering jobs; low attainment and progression in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at school – which is exacerbated further at the FE and HE stages. 

'Not enough young people are making engineering their career choice as it is a victim of its own transferable skill, and engineering talent is being lost to other professions such as accountancy or consultancy.'

Last month, there were 78,467 engineering roles advertised via Adzuna, with an average annual salary of £38,210.

Warning: Billionaire inventor James Dyson has warned the UK risks 'economic suicide' if the shortfall in engineers continues

 2. NURSE

While engineers are the most in-demand workers across the UK, unfilled nursing vacancies are also stacking up.

In April, there were 58,788 available nursing posts advertised, with average salaries coming in at £31,876 a year, Adzuna's data shows.

From 1 August 2017, new nursing, midwifery and allied health students will no longer receive NHS bursaries. Instead, they will have access to the same student loans system as other students. 

Controversial: From 1 August 2017, nurses will no longer receive Government bursaries

According to the Department for Health, scrapping the bursary scheme will enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing, midwifery and allied health training places by 2020.

But, critics argue that scrapping the bursary scheme will put even more people off becoming nurses.

Janet Davies, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing told This is Money: 'The Government has not thought hard enough about the risks of these proposals.' 

UK EMPLOYMENT  IN NUMBERS

1.7million people unemployed

31.41million people in work

23million working full-time

8.43million working part-time

Source: Office for National Statistics 

She added: 'Nursing students’ placements and longer term times mean they do not have the opportunity to earn extra money during their studies. 

'A higher proportion are also mature students, and the prospect of taking on even more debt with a second degree will likely put off many potential nurses.

“Every extra training place needs a high quality placement to give the student practical experience. Worryingly, the Government has not explained how these extra placements will be funded, or how their quality will be monitored.' 

3. DEVELOPERS

With technology forming an ever greater role in our lives, developers, particularly software developers, are in high demand.

With an average annual pay packet of around £43,000, there were nearly 57,000 developer roles up for grabs across the UK last month. 

4. CONSULTANTS

Across the consultancy sector, which spans sectors including technology, property and marketing, there were over 41,000 jobs up for grabs last month, Adzuna said.

While average salaries in the sector vary widely and can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, the average salary for posted roles was £35,813, Adzuna said. 

Consulting: There were over 41,000 consultancy jobs posted via Adzuna's website last month

5. RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT

Last month, over 41,000 recruitment consultant roles were up for grabs, with salaries coming in at an average of £35,810, with many offering the potential for earning sizable commission.

6. TEACHERS 

As a rough estimate, there were 40,692 teaching posts advertised last month, with an average annual salary of £29,571.

In July last year, the Government, using data from November 2014, said there were 1,030 vacancies for full-time permanent teachers in state-funded schools, a rate of 0.3 per cent. This is 280 vacant posts more than in November 2013 (when the vacancy rate was 0.2 per cent).  

According to the National Audit Office, 'teacher shortages are growing', with the Government missing its recruitment forecasts for the last four years.

The Government spends £700million a year on recruiting and training new teachers, the NAO said. 

Pressure: The National Audit Office said 'teacher shortages are growing'

7. ADMINISTRATOR

With nearly 35,400 roles advertised last month, administrators remain in high demand, with average annual salaries standing at around £29,724.

8. CHEF

Despite being littered with success stories from TV shows including Masterchef and the Great British Bake Off, it seems Britain can't rake in enough chefs to fill roles in the sector.

As well as being a job notorious for punishing hours, chef's average salaries are lower than in many other sectors, hovering around the £22,394 mark, Adzuna said.

Data published by Visa Europe earlier this month revealed that Britons are spending more money on bolstering the nation's 'experience economy', with people spending more on dining out, holidays and days out than on clothes or shoes. 

Can't stand the heat: Average salaries for chefs, who often work long hours, are around £22,394

9. DESIGNER

Designers, particularly digital designers, are in high demand, with over 21,000 vacancies advertised via Adzuna last month. Average salaries are high at around £39,424, but can be far higher for senior staff. 

10. SALES EXECUTIVE 

There were 18,682 sales posts advertised on Adzuna last month, with average salaries at nearly £28,000 a year. 

Culled from Mail Online