In 2019, Brother UK, the office electronics supplier, analysed a year’s worth of Google search data. The study revealed the most popular jobs worldwide, and they discussed whether culture or economy impacted careers globally.

In 2023, the company conducted a new study investigating how the global job market has changed in the last three years. Brother UK wanted to determine whether a pandemic, economic uncertainties, remote/hybrid working, and AI technologies have transformed how the world searches for jobs.

The most searched-for jobs in the UK

Teaching assistant jobs are still the most searched-for in the UK. However, there are signs that interest may be waning. In 2019, over 288,000 people searched Google for teaching assistant roles. But since 2020, the average yearly searches have shrunk by 5% to 275,000.

UK search data shows that the most significant search increase in the education sector was from qualified teaching positions. While teachers still wish to continue teaching, they may consider switching schools for better career prospects.

A recent poll from the National Education Union showed that teachers were more likely to look for a promotion at another school rather than at the school where they were currently employed.

In 2019, the second and third most searched-for jobs in the UK were estate agents, with 105,700 searches and project managers, with 99,300 searches. While searches for both jobs increased, they were knocked out of the top five by a surge of interest in teaching and cabin crew jobs.

The aviation industry experienced heavy turbulence at the start of the pandemic due to fewer flights. As international travel restrictions were gradually lifted, airlines that managed to weather the storm have needed to rehire talent back into the workforce.

Photography jobs saw one of the most significant declines in UK searches. Searches for photography roles fell by 17% and failed to make the 10 most searched-for jobs in 2023. Stock image photographers are also facing steep competition from AI, which can produce photorealistic artwork cheaply.

The most searched-for jobs in the UK

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The most searched-for jobs in Europe

Across the continent, human resources careers emerged as the most searched-for. However, our study revealed that there were regional variations depending on the job market in each country.

Germany saw the highest search volumes for firefighter jobs. Data from the Economic Research Institute indicates that firefighters in Germany can expect to earn around €45,931 per year. While this is slightly below Germany’s national average salary, the outlook for firefighters is positive. Over the past five years, firefighter salaries have increased by 18%, with predictions their wages will continue to grow in the coming years.

Teaching assistants emerged as the second most searched job in Europe, with most searches coming from the UK. European countries outside the UK, specifically Ireland and Germany, also saw significant growth in teaching assistant roles.

The most searched-for jobs in Europe

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The world’s most searched-for jobs, overall

Interest in human resources was not limited to European countries. Global job search data revealed that HR jobs were the most sought-after globally. The US led the way, with the highest volume of HR job searches in the last three years, followed by the UK and India.

There was a substantial increase in the number of job searches. Accounting jobs were identified as the second most searched in the world, seeing average yearly search volumes double, reflecting a considerable increase in demand. This is beaten by the rise in demand for graphic design roles, which tripled.

Job searches around the world

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The search for science and technology jobs

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) jobs have been in high demand, crucial for driving innovation and advancing society. In Brother UK’s previous study, mechanical engineering stood out as the most sought-after job within STEM and the most searched job globally.

Mechanical engineering continues to be a highly sought-after career path, with a 77% increase in average yearly searches for engineering jobs. Unsurprisingly, mechanical engineering remained the most-searched-for STEM job globally, with many searches coming from South Africa, which saw an average yearly search volume of 123,730.

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A standout data trend was the growing searches for careers in data analytics. Global job searches for data analytics hit a yearly average of 780,677, making the top 10 which it had failed to reach previously. The US, UK and Canada job markets were most interested in data analytics careers.

Science & Technology job searches