The crisis in the UK employment market was laid bare yesterday after research showed that as many as 10,000 people have been applying for a single job.

Statistics from one of the country’s leading recruitment websites revealed that job applications have risen in some sectors by a staggering 150 per cent as record numbers of unemployed seek work as a consequence of the recession.

In a fortnight alone one online job board reported more than 9,300 applicants had downloaded information on an air hostess job with a major airline.

Job adverts for careers in human resources, marketing and the travel sector have attracted on average more than four applicants per post over the past 12 months, while competition for sales positions has also increased with three people vying for each job vacancy.

Research from Simply Jobs boards, an online recruitment firm which runs job websites across 14 industry sectors in the UK, also revealed that applications for careers in recruitment and the automotive sector have also rocketed with double the number of job seekers per post.

Competition for work is perhaps unsurprising after unemployment topped 2.5million this year and Britain struggles through the longest recession in history, Ian Partington, managing director of Simply Jobs boards, said.

”The global economic downturn has had a dramatic effect on unemployment and almost every sector has suffered,” he added.

”However, the airline industry has been particularly badly affected and the fact that almost 10,000 people were interested in a single airline steward’s job is a sad reflection on how many people in the sector have lost their jobs over the last 12 months.

”It also points that our websites aviationjobsearch.com, cabincrew.com and traveljobsearch.com are the number one online recruitment sites for anyone seeking work in the travel aviation sector.”

The news comes as experts predicted that a further 2,500 jobs will be lost as a result of the Government’s increased air passenger levy, introduced earlier this month.

Roger Wiltshire, secretary general of the British Air Transport Association, said the 10 per cent rise in air passenger duty, imposed on November 1, would have a devastating impact on the industry which is already suffering terribly as a consequence of the global recession.

”The fact that we have almost 10,000 people applying for a single cabin crew job is a reflection of the difficulties the industry is going through as a result of the impact of the recession,” he said.

”We’ve had pay freezes, pay cuts, voluntary unpaid work, unpaid leave and redundancies – there are lots of very difficult decisions being made at the moment.

”We are also very concerned that the Government’s completely unjustified 10 per cent rise in Air Passenger Duty, which came into force on November 1, will have a very significant impact on jobs in the sector which is already severely weakened by the recession.

”We believe the rise will take some 2,500 jobs out of the airline industry alone, but it could just be the tip of the iceberg. The knock-on effect on the economy and tourist sector could see as many as 20,000 British jobs affected.”

The Government claim money from the APD helps combat the environmental impact of air travel by cutting carbon emissions.

But Mr Wiltshire denied such a link.

”It is simply a money making exercise for the Exchequer,” he added.

”Gordon Brown will get an extra £700million a year from these tax rises, which means the air passenger duty will generate as much as £1.96billion this year for the Government.

”That figure goes beyond any environmental justification.”

Job cuts have been announced at virtually all the world’s large airlines this year as many of them struggle as a consequence of the global economic meltdown.

Rising oil prices, faltering demand and intense competition will see it post a £16.9bn loss for 2008 and 2009, the International Air Transport Association estimate.

Air France-KLM, Aer-Lingfus, Bmibaby, Japan Airlines are among those who have announced job cuts already this year.

British Airways is also trying to implement plans that would save £140 million a year from its cabin crew budget. It has proposed a two-year pay freeze, reduced allowances for long-haul travel and lower pay for new recruits. In addition, 1,000 crew have taken voluntary redundancy and a further 3,000 are moving to part-time work. The moves have angered unions who have threatened strike action over Christmas.

A spokesman for the Treasury said:”Flying is a relatively under-taxed activity, paying no fuel duty or VAT on tickets.

”The reform of APD ensures flying contributes fairly to public services and strengthens the environmental signal of the tax.”