Labour Market Tracker: Signs of some stability in hiring as job postings numbers hold up

• The number of overall active job postings in February 2025 was 1,550,191 – an increase of 0.1% on the number of job postings in January 2025.
• Scotland (7.7%) and the East Midlands (2.0%) had the highest increase in job postings, whereas the decrease was in South West (1.2%) and the North East (0.9%).
• The number of new job postings in the UK was 681,898 – down by 10.8% from January 2025. This number will have been affected by January being a traditional stronger month for firms going to market, while February is a shorter month.
• Increase in hiring for construction.

The jobs market is showing greater stability, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)/ Lightcast monthly Labour Market Tracker.

The number of overall active job postings in February 2025 was 1,550,191 – an increase of 0.1% on the number of job postings in January 2025. The number of new job postings in February 2025 in the UK was 681,898 – down by 10.8% from January 2025. But a drop in new postings compared to January 2025 was expected because there is a traditional upturn in hiring at the very start of the year, and February is a shorter month with a school holiday week.

The number of overall active job postings in January 2025 was up 7.2% on the number of job postings in December 2024. That marked the first time that job postings have risen since June 2024, and we record a second month of a weak rise today. The number of new job postings in January was up by 34.4% on December 2024, which compared favourably to the 27.9% increase in new postings in January 2024.

Commenting on today’s figures, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said:

“Firms have been working hard to find growth in the face of rising costs since the Budget, and it is reassuring that some are now feeling more ready to hire. Growing stability of demand will reassure recruiters and policymakers, given the challenging outlook for business on National Insurance hikes, wage increases, global political shifts, and uncertainty about the future impact of the Employment Rights Bill.

“The significant increase in construction job adverts is notable given recent concerns about the strength of this bellwether sector. The same applies to the substantial rise in adverts for parts of the under-pressure hospitality sector. We await a sustained recovery in IT recruitment, but there are still opportunities for such workers with 30,000 job postings for Programmers and Software Development Professionals and nearly 12,000 for IT Business Analysts, Architects and Systems Designers.

“The government must deliver a Spring Statement that is not only optimistic but also lays out a clear long-term growth strategy to unlock more of the latent demand for hiring and investment that we believe is out there. Achieving this requires working in partnership with business to close skills gaps, drive innovation, and expand job opportunities. Government should deliver a great pitch and let business take care of the result.”

Sectors:

Information Technology:

Overall, the sector had a 3.4% decrease in the number of job postings from January to February 2025. Most roles saw a decrease in job postings, but Data Entry Administrators again saw the biggest uptick in postings, rising 10.4% from the previous month (the only IT occupation that saw a rise in the number of job postings). This follows a 6.3% increase from December 2024 to January 2025. The IT roles with the smallest decreases in February 2025 were: IT Quality and Testing Professionals (-1.7%), IT Project Managers (-2.1%) and Data Analysts (-2.1%).

Construction

There were over 117,000 job postings in construction in February 2025. This is a 4.7% increase from January 2025 and follows a 13.2% increase from December 2024. Overall, most construction jobs saw an increase in February 2025 as compared to January 2025. The following were the roles with the biggest increase: Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives (20.3%), Stonemasons and Related Trades (19.9%) and Plasterers (16.5%).

Administration

In February 2025 there were over 119,000 job posts in the administrative sector. This is an increase of 0.4% as compared to January 2025. Most roles in the administrative sector saw an increase in job postings, including Communication Operators (7.2%), National Government Administrative Occupations (6.3%) and Financial Administrative Occupations n.e.c.(5.5%).

Today’s Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month for Gardeners and Landscape Gardeners (33.1%), Teaching Professionals n.e.c. (22.7%) and Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives (20.3%)

Veterinary Nurses (-29.1%), Delivery Drivers and Couriers (-30.1%) and Train and Tram Drivers (-35.3%) all showed the largest decline in roles from January to February 2025.

West Dunbartonshire (24.7%), Argyll and Bute (23.5%) and East Lothian and Midlothian (20.1%) showed the highest increase in job postings. All 10 of the top 10 counties that had the highest increase in job postings were based in Scotland.

Whereas Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton (-6.8%), Mid Ulster (-7.6%) and Central Bedfordshire (-13.7%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.

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 February 2025. 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.              JobsOutlook: Budget knock to employer confidence not as bad as feared – REC, January 2025. The latest REC JobsOutlook shows employers' confidence in the economy slightly increased heading into the new year, suggesting that some of the gloomier UK economic forecasts, partly driven by a damaging Autumn Budget for business, may be underplaying the potential for 2025. Demand for workers is down, it's not gone, finds REC.

Media enquiries

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

Click here to view all REC press releases.

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:

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

Key indicator occupations