IT recruiter CV Screen has noted a 30% drop in the average number of applicants per job during the month of August, and is singling out the Olympic Games as the culprit.

In August 2011 it received an average of 198 applicants per job, but last month this was just 138. Meanwhile, the number of vacancies registered was almost identical – just 1% lower in 2012 than August 2011.

CV Screen managing director Matthew Iveson says: “Certainly no-one will be surprised that there has been a drop in applications during the Games, but a 30% decrease is fairly dramatic.”

He adds that the company has also seen “a significant increase in applications in September as employees get back to work”.