The number of new job postings in the UK was 738,040 this January – up by 34.4% compared to December 2024, according to new data by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and Lightcast.
The number of overall active job postings across the UK in January 2025 was 1,516,535, with an increase of 7.2% over the previous month. This marks the first increase since June 2024.
All UK regions recorded an increase in active job postings. The East Midlands saw the highest rise at 11.7 percent, while London experienced the smallest increase at 3.4 percent. These figures suggest that employers are returning to the job market despite ongoing economic pressures, although the data does not indicate a broad or rapid recovery.
REC Deputy Chief Executive Kate Shoesmith acknowledged the challenges businesses face but pointed to the job market data as a sign that it’s too soon for gloom about the UK economy’s prospects for 2025.
She said, “The increase in job postings is a clear sign that employers will hire when they need to. A 34.4% increase in new jobs signals a solid rebound in demand, showing that businesses remain resilient, despite both domestic and international headwinds. We will look closely in the coming months to see if we are looking at a broader turn.”
Sector-Specific Job Postings Trends
Some industries experienced notable growth in job postings in January 2025, while others saw a decline. Stonemasons and related trades saw a 47.9 percent increase in job postings, followed by gardeners and landscape gardeners at 45.3 percent and travel agents at 43 percent.
The construction sector recorded over 100,000 job postings, a 13.2 percent increase from December 2024. Roles such as steel erectors (22.6 percent) and carpenters and joiners (20.5 percent) also saw growth. The retail sector saw an increase in job postings, rising by 3.9 percent from the previous month. Collector salespersons and credit agents (32.7 percent), customer service supervisors (16.7 percent) and telephone salespersons (16.6 percent) all recorded gains.
However, job postings for sales and retail assistants continued to decline, falling by 8.4 percent following a 24.7 percent drop in December 2024.
The information technology sector saw a modest increase of 1.3 percent in job postings, with IT quality and testing professionals (15.6 percent), data entry administrators (6.3 percent) and IT network professionals (4.6 percent) leading growth. These figures follow a period of reduced demand for IT roles throughout 2024.
The post-holiday period led to a decline in job postings for delivery and logistics roles. The most significant decreases were seen among postal workers, mail sorters, messengers and couriers, which dropped by 47.4 percent. Delivery drivers and couriers saw a sharper decline of 73.4 percent, while roundspersons and van salespersons recorded a 30.4 percent decrease. This decline aligns with the expected reduction in demand following the peak holiday shopping season.
Recruitment Challenges in the Fashion Industry
The UK fashion and textile industry continues to face recruitment challenges despite ongoing demand for skilled workers. In January 2025, there were 2,369 job postings for textile process operatives, 288 for clothing, fashion and accessories designers, 165 for tailors and dressmakers and 171 for sewing machinists.
While these numbers indicate continued demand, overall job postings in the sector have declined from nearly 6,000 in mid-2023 to around 3,500 in early 2025. The sharpest drop has been in textile process operatives and tailors and dressmakers, with sewing machinists and designers also experiencing a decline. This suggests ongoing difficulties in recruiting for specialist roles, which may impact the ability to maintain UK-based manufacturing.
As businesses assess hiring trends for the year ahead, there are some positive signs – but, warns Shoesmith, the government needs to take “tangible action” to foster business confidence.
“Ongoing fiscal uncertainty, looming national insurance increases and a potentially burdensome employment rights framework may yet dampen momentum,” she said. “For real growth, businesses need a clearer strategy on how government industrial policies will truly drive economic progress.”
Whether the increase in job postings signals sustained growth or a temporary rebound remains to be seen in the coming months.
