Labour Market Tracker: Plenty of hiring going on, with hundreds of thousands of roles in Christmas-related sectors available - REC

• The number of overall active job postings in November 2024 was 1,500,910 – a decrease of 2.8% on the number of job postings in October 2024. This continues a trend of moderation back to pre-pandemic levels.
• Four of the top 10 local authorities that had the highest increase in job postings were based in London: Wandsworth (13.0%); Haringey and Islington (12.6%); Hackney and Newham (4.6%); and Ealing (4.5%).
• Plenty of employers are keen to hire, with around 100,000 job postings in each of the hospitality, driving and logistics and retail sectors, as we head into the busy Christmas period.

 

There were more than 1.5m active postings in November 2024, according to the latest Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and Lightcast Labour Market Tracker.

The number of overall active postings in November 2024 was 1,500,910. The number of new job postings in the UK was 663,814 – down by 6.0% on last month as firms begin to look to 2025 for their hiring plans.

The volume of postings emphasises that while there have been some headwinds for businesses this autumn on the costs of employment and the economic path ahead, the underlying picture is still good.

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said:

“Today’s numbers emphasise the scale and relative good health of the UK’s labour market. Despite a weakening trend on vacancies as the post-pandemic normalisation draws to an end, there are still more than 1.5m jobs out there, and plenty of opportunity for jobseekers who get in touch with their local agency. It’s true that many employers are concerned by the headwinds on costs that the Budget and the Employment Rights Bill may bring, if poorly implemented. But the economy is bigger than policy, and the relative health of household balance sheets and growing confidence amongst employers in their own business can shift the scales in the other direction. With political stability and lower inflation, businesses are well-positioned to head into the jobs market and trading next year with more confidence.

“We are seeing lower and longer spikes in Christmas hiring in recent years because employers are getting better at planning their workforce needs, such as extending temporary contracts rather than hitting the job market late in the year. But as always, it is temporary workers who will be delivering Christmas this year, given the many seasonal roles available, and our latest Recruitment Industry Status Report finding that, on any given day in 2023, 1,058,300 temporary or contract workers were on assignment in the UK. We want to thank them for their work, and remind policymakers that the temporary work they value is hugely important to both our economy and people’s ability to manage their lives.”

Today’s Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month for Childminders (109.3%), Delivery Drivers and Couriers (101.1%) and Collector Salespersons and Credit Agents (33.4%).

Electrical Service and Maintenance Mechanics and Repairers (-20.9%), Optometrists (-22.0%) and Probation Officers (-24.8%) all showed the largest decline in roles from October to November 2024.

Lisburn and Castlereagh (13.6%), Wandsworth (13.0%) and Haringey and Islington (12.6%) showed the highest increase in job postings. This is the second month in a row that Wandsworth, and Lisburn and Castlereagh both saw increases in job postings.

Four of the top 10 counties that had the highest increase in job postings were based in London: Wandsworth (13.0%); Haringey and Islington (12.6%); Hackney and Newham (4.6%); and Ealing (4.5%). Despite some pockets of growth, London as a region saw a 1.9% decline overall in job postings.

Whereas Camden and City of London (-16.3%), Dumfries and Galloway (-21.2%) and Scottish Borders (-21.6%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.

Christmas hiring 2024

Overall, Christmas hiring is more modest this year than it was last year which reflects the challenging economy but also that more employers are getting better at forecasting staff needs ahead of Christmas without needing to rush to the job market.

Driving and Logistics:

There was a mighty total of 104,840 job postings in driving and logistics in November 2024.

Some driving roles featured in the highest overall rise in job postings in the UK, between October and November 2024. Overall, the sector had a 2.0% increase in the number of job postings in November 2024 as compared to October 2024. This is only marginally down on the 4.1% increase in such job postings between October 2023 and November 2023.

The most in demand roles when we compare October 2024 to November 2024, are the 101% increase in job postings for delivery drivers and couriers, 28% increase for Postal Workers, Mail Sorters, Messengers and Couriers, and 26.5 % increase in Delivery Operatives job postings.

Hospitality and Catering

There were a huge 93,661 job postings in hospitality and catering in November 2024, ahead of the festive period.

Leisure and Sports Managers and Proprietors (14.3%) and Leisure and Travel Service Occupations n.e.c. (4.2%), were among the highest increase in job postings from October 2024 to November 2024.

Last year (comparing October 2023 to November 2023) the hospitality sector saw a rise in job postings of 2.9% in anticipation of Christmas demand. That same anticipation was less in this year's statistics with a marginal overall fall of 3.6% in job postings from October 2024 to November 2024.

Retail

There is plenty of hiring going on in retail because there were a massive 178,048 job postings in retail roles in the UK in November 2024.

The highest increase in job postings in this sector between October 2024 and November 2024 was in Collector Salespersons and Credit Agents (33.4%) and Roundspersons and Van Salespersons (22.9%).

Last year (comparing October 2023 to November 2023) the retail industry saw a rise in job postings of 3.7% in anticipation of Christmas demand. That same anticipation was not reflected in this year's statistics as there was a marginal overall 3.4% drop in the number of retail job postings from October 2024 to November 2024.

For example, there was a fall in job postings between October 2024 and November 2024 in typical retail roles such as for sales and retail assistants (-5.8%), retail cashiers and check-out operators (-9.5%) and sales supervisors (-7.9%). In the corresponding period last year (October 2023 - November 2023), there was a 6.7% increase in job postings for retail cashiers and check-out operators (6.7%) and 4.5% increase for sales supervisors.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1.              The Labour Market Tracker is produced by the REC in partnership with Lightcast, using their Job Postings Analytics data which is harvested from tens of thousands of job boards. Data was harvested in November 2024. 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.

3.              REC and Lightcast switched to analysing monthly data on a permanent basis in January 2024. They had trialled weekly and monthly data in parallel for the final months of 2023, and therefore confident that the data will offer the opportunity for clearer analysis.

The LMT (Labour Market Tracker) has also moved from analysing Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2010 to the revised SOC 2020. The main areas of change from the previous classification are:

a.              A review of the classification of roles as professional or associate professional
This means that occupations such as Paramedics, Multimedia Designers, Investment Analysts, and Taxation Experts, which were part of the “Associate Professional or Technical” classification in SOC 2010, have been reclassified as “Professional” occupations in SOC 2020.

b.              The reclassification of occupations associated with information technologies
This means that the growth in IT roles over the last decade or so has now been recognised by the creation of new unit groups such as Cyber Security, Quality and Testing, Networks, Web Design, Database Administrators, and IT Trainers.

c.              Disaggregation into less heterogenous unit groups
This includes the creation of a separate role for Logistics Management; distinguishing General Medical Practitioners from Specialist Medical Practitioners; a breakdown of nursing roles; and more detail on storage and warehouse roles.

d.              Overall, the new SOC 2020 classification system is more granular, with 43 more occupations at the 4-digit level than the 2010 version. This means that the REC can provide better and more up-to-date information, based on both the 43 the new classifications and the reviewed classifications.

4. The 'Nursery Education Teaching Professionals" (SOC 2315) will likely be getting a lower number of job postings as it is a new addition with SOC2020, previously it was Primary and Nursery Education Teaching Professionals, so it is separated out into Primary and Nursery.

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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 Lightcast

Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass) provides trusted global labour market data, analytics, and expert guidance that empowers communities, corporations, and learning providers to make informed decisions and navigate the increasingly complex world of work. With a database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles, our team provides best-in-class customer service with robust data, clear analysis, and expert guidance on skills, jobs, and opportunities.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Lightcast is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. The company is backed by global private equity leader KKR. For more, visit www.lightcast.io/uk.

ANNEXES

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

County/unitary authority	Unique active job postings, November 2024	Change in active job postings, October 2024 to November 2024
Lisburn and Castlereagh	1,349	13.6%
Wandsworth	953	13.0%
Haringey and Islington	1,375	12.6%
Antrim and Newtownabbey	1,443	8.2%
Flintshire and Wrexham	4,790	6.5%
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	7,153	5.3%
Hackney and Newham	1,149	4.6%
Ealing	790	4.5%
East Merseyside	6,520	4.5%
Blackpool	2,487	4.2%
East Lothian and Midlothian	2,199	-10.9%
Nottingham	12,657	-11.0%
Belfast	9,940	-11.9%
Fermanagh and Omagh	461	-12.7%
South Ayrshire	1,508	-14.1%
South Nottinghamshire	1,098	-14.4%
North Ayrshire	1,234	-15.7%
Camden and City of London	5,204	-16.3%
Dumfries and Galloway	1,461	-21.2%
Scottish Borders	766	-21.6%

 

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

Occupation	Unique active job postings, November 2024	Change in active job postings, October 2024 to November 2024
Childminders	429	109.3%
Delivery Drivers and Couriers	3,978	101.1%
Collector Salespersons and Credit Agents	503	33.4%
Driving Instructors	1,863	28.7%
Postal Workers, Mail Sorters, Messengers and Couriers	1,986	28.0%
Higher Level Teaching Assistants	2,511	26.5%
Delivery Operatives	545	26.5%
Roundspersons and Van Salespersons	17,216	22.9%
Housing Officers	434	16.0%
Crane Drivers	431	15.9%
-
Human Resources and Industrial Relations Officers	13,918	-14.0%
Shopkeepers and Owners - Retail and Wholesale	723	-14.7%
Veterinary Nurses	1,345	-15.0%
Travel Agents	1,286	-16.5%
Newspaper and Periodical Broadcast Journalists and Reporters	354	-17.3%
Typists and Related Keyboard Occupations	540	-19.9%
Chemical Scientists	799	-19.9%
Electrical Service and Maintenance Mechanics and Repairers	330	-20.9%
Optometrists	1,092	-22.0%
Probation Officers	357	-24.8%

 

Key indicator occupations

Occupation	Unique active job postings, November 2024	Change in active job postings, October 2024 to November 2024
Advertising and Marketing Associate Professionals	12,764	-5.0%
Bar Staff	7,915	-0.5%
Beauticians and Related Occupations	1,256	-3.2%
Care Workers and Home Carers	50,258	6.0%
Caretakers	1,859	-0.2%
Carpenters and Joiners	4,674	-6.6%
Chartered and Certified Accountants	15,855	-9.8%
Chefs	16,756	-6.5%
Cleaners and Domestics	34,568	2.6%
Delivery Operatives	545	26.5%
Electricians and Electrical Fitters	7,498	-6.2%
Elementary Storage Occupations n.e.c.	393	4.0%
Elementary Storage Supervisors	2,197	-2.3%
Finance and Investment Analysts and Advisers	12,813	-8.3%
Fitness and Wellbeing Instructors	2,336	6.2%
Food, Drink and Tobacco Process Operatives	113	-8.1%
Hairdressers and Barbers	1,446	-9.2%
Large Goods Vehicle Drivers	20,118	-2.2%
Mechanical Engineers	13,154	-6.5%
Metal Working Production and Maintenance Fitters	14	-12.5%
Nursery Education Teaching Professionals	41	17.1%
Other Registered Nursing Professionals	15,077	-3.2%
Primary Education Teaching Professionals	10,866	4.6%
Programmers and Software Development Professionals	29,848	-7.4%
Property, Housing and Estate Managers	4,236	-7.3%
Registered Children's Nurses	871	6.0%
Registered Community Nurses	1,752	4.0%
Registered Mental Health Nurses	1,734	-9.6%
Registered Nurse Practitioners	7,641	-2.9%
Registered Specialist Nurses	3,526	-2.8%
Sales and Retail Assistants	22,277	-5.8%
Secondary Education Teaching Professionals	24,237	-3.2%
Security Guards and Related Occupations	6,586	2.2%
Solicitors and Lawyers	20,590	-11.7%
Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials	3,372	2.9%
Waiters and Waitresses	12,764	-5.0%
Warehouse Operatives	7,915	-0.5%