Labour Market Tracker: Fewest new job adverts posted since mid-January as labour market stabilises

• There were around 172,000 new job postings in the last week of March – 25% lower than the previous week and the lowest since mid-January
• But there were still 1.83 million active job adverts in the UK last week
• High demand for hairdressers and barbers, security occupations, bar staff
• Notable increases in adverts for other skilled occupations like veterinarians and crane drivers
• Five out of the UK’s top ten hiring hotspots were in Scotland last week, three in Northern Ireland
• Local areas with the biggest decreases in job adverts were Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames, Nottingham, and Cambridgeshire

Growth in the number of job adverts across the UK has stabilised in recent weeks, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)’s latest Labour Market Tracker. There were around 1.83 million active job adverts in the UK in the week of 21-27 March. This total has remained relatively stable since early March

However, last week there was a significant drop in the number of new job adverts, with roughly 172,000 new postings in the UK. This was 25% lower than the previous week and the lowest of any week since mid-January.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said:

“The jobs market has been super-heated in the first few months of this year, and was always likely to stabilise in the spring. We may be seeing the first signs of that now. Over the next few weeks, we will see whether this is the cooling we expected, or a slower market developing as employers factor rising inflation into their plans. It is good to see vacancy numbers continuing to recover in Scotland and Northern Ireland after later ending of restrictions, and likewise in the leisure and hospitality industries that were so restricted by COVID.

“Businesses are having to work harder than ever to hire the staff they need, but it is possible to hire if you get your offer right. Consulting with recruitment experts about your approach, including broadening your search, making job ads more attractive and offering enhanced flexibility and benefits can all help, without breaking the bank.”

There was a significant increase in adverts for hairdressers and barbers (+9.4%), elementary security occupations (+9.0%), and bar staff (+8.4%) last week. Other hospitality, leisure and service sector roles such as waiters and waitresses (+6.6%) also saw notable increases, as well as specialist skilled occupations such as vets (+8.3%) and photographers (+7.2%).

On the other hand, driving instructors (-9.7%), postal workers and couriers (-6.3%), and roofers (-4.7%) were the occupations that saw the biggest weekly declines in active job adverts.

The devolved nations saw notable growth in job postings last week, with five of the top ten hiring hotspots in Scotland and three in Northern Ireland. However, the local area with the highest increase in job adverts last week was Westminster (+17.7%), followed by West Dunbartonshire (+13.2%) and Highland (+10.7%).

At the other end of the scale, the area with the largest decrease in job adverts was Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames (-11.0%). In addition, a number of major cities in also saw small decreases in job adverts last week, including Liverpool (-3.5%), Leeds (-2.5%) and Birmingham (-2.1%).

John Gray, Vice President, UK Operations at Emsi Burning Glass, said:

“Employer demand has been at record highs since the second half of 2021, and it was inevitable that we would see a levelling off at some point. However, whilst we’ve seen this levelling off occurring since the start of March, in the last week there has been a significant drop, from over 235,000 new job postings in the week beginning 14th March, to around 172,000 in the following week.

“Tracking job postings continues to be the best way to understand current employer demand, and the next few weeks of tracking this should give us a clearer picture of whether the latest decrease in postings is a short-term blip, or whether it indicates the start of a new phase in employer uncertainty, caused by numerous factors such as rising inflation and energy costs.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The Labour Market Tracker is produced by the REC in partnership with Emsi Burning Glass, using their Job Postings Analytics data which is harvested from tens of thousands of job boards. Data was harvested between 14 and 27 March 2022. For more details, see the attached annexes which, in league table format, detail the top and bottom ten county/unitary authorities for growth in job postings and growth by occupation type.
2. ‘Active’ job postings are those which were live online during the specified time period. ‘New’ job postings are those which were added to the active stock during the specified time period.

For more information and interview enquiries, contact the REC Press Office on 020 7009 2157, 020 7009 2129 or pressoffice@rec.uk.com. Outside of regular office hours, please call 07702 568 829.

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About the REC

 The REC is the voice of the recruitment industry, speaking up for great recruiters. We drive standards and empower recruitment businesses to build better futures for great candidates and themselves. We are champions of an industry which is fundamental to the strength of the UK economy.

Find out more about the Recruitment & Employment Confederation at www.rec.uk.com.

About Emsi Burning Glass

 Emsi Burning Glass is the world’s leading authority on job skills, workforce talent, and labour market dynamics. Organisations across the globe use our market research, analytical software, and data expertise to better understand their own workforce and identify skilled and diverse talent for future growth. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Emsi Burning Glass is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. Find out more at www.emsidata.co.uk

ANNEXES

Top ten and bottom ten county/unitary authorities for growth in job postings:

Top ten and bottom ten occupations by growth in job postings:

Key indicator occupations