Plan smarter with Labour Market Information (LMI)

Posted on 24 January 2025 • Career planning, Labour Market Information

Many of us feel uncertain about the job market and the future of our careers, especially as the labour market is ever-changing terrain. Understanding how and why things change will help you navigate it, find current and future opportunities, and build your career confidence.

This is why OU Careers and Employability Services has developed in-depth Labour Market Information (LMI) resources to help you reflect and use LMI when considering study and career decisions.

But first, what exactly is LMI? Where can you find it? And how can you use it to achieve your personal and career goals?…

What is LMI?

Even if the term ‘Labour Market Information’ (LMI) is new to you, you’ve probably used it before in job hunting or making career decisions. Applying for a job will inevitably lead you towards LMI as you will find in our Doing your research when applying for jobs page. Put simply, LMI gives you a picture of what is happening now in the jobs market, in the economy, in different sectors, what is impacting on all of these and what research shows it may look like in the future.

Where can I find LMI?

The OU’s Careers and Employability Services regularly update you on the latest LMI in our monthly Careers Express e-newsletter. Our live events give you the opportunity to engage with employers and gain insights into a range of roles and sectors. In this interview, Charlie Ball, Head of Higher Education Intelligence for Prospects, gives advice on how to make sense of LMI, using examples from the Welsh labour market. You can find LMI for different sectors on the Industry Reports tab of our Abintegro suite of careers tools, which you can access using your OU login details.

Find LMI yourself through research, keeping up with the latest news and talking with your OU Family on LinkedIn and our careers forums. For more information on networking see our LinkedIn guide and networking page.

To develop your own LMI, an easy first step is to log into OpportunityHub to get an idea of what roles are available, where, and whether that’s changing. You could apply for an internship or placement to gain insight into the sector or employer and expand your network.

How can I use LMI?

Using LMI not only increases your awareness of the job market but can help in planning your future. With insight into your sector(s) of interest, you’ll be better prepared to choose your career path, the opportunities you go for and modules you study. You’ll also be able to use what you’ve learnt in application forms, cover letters and interviews to demonstrate your commitment and passion for the role.

 

Next steps

It may take a little digging around to get the most recent and most relevant information you need, but our LMI resources on the Help Centre are a great place to start. Careers and Employability Services wishes you all the best in navigating the ever-changing LMI landscape.