Labour Market Tracker: 180,000 new job ads in the first week of January

• The number of active job postings were 1.53 million in the week of 2-8 Jan 2023, a 1.5% increase compared to the previous week
• There were 184,335 new job adverts in the first week of January, a 24.5% increase on the same period in January 2022 (148,032)
• New job adverts in the first week of January 2023 were 134% higher than the week before but hiring always slows just before and over the Christmas period
• There is an increase in demand for Police Officers (sergeant and below), domestic workers and leisure industry personnel
•  There was a fall in job adverts in Westminster, Angus and Dundee City, Fermanagh and Omagh, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, and Manchester
• Derby was the UK’s top hiring hotspot in the week of 2-8 Jan 2023

While there may be some caution from employers in the face of uncertainty, overall the jobs market remains robust judging by the demand for new staff. The number of active job vacancy postings across the UK has remained robust since mid-August 2022. Active job adverts went above 1.5 million in mid-December 2022 and remained there in the first week of January, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and Lightcast’s latest Labour Market Tracker.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said:

“January is often a time when employees look for a new role, so it is reassuring to see plenty of options out there for people looking to build their career and raise their wages. While businesses are being a notch more cautious in the face of economic uncertainty, the scale of the shortages we face mean many firms still need to hire.

“It is notable that demand as judged by new job adverts has remained relatively steady for many months now, and this January does not appear to be worse than January 2022 according to our data. For firms expecting hiring to be easier this year, the message is that working hard to get your hiring right is going to be just as important in 2023.

“For governments, these numbers emphasise again the need to tackle labour shortages with reform across our welfare support, skills and immigration systems.”

Occupations with notable increases in job adverts include Police Officers (sergeant and below) (+14.1%), Sports and Leisure Assistants (+11.8%), and Cleaners and Domestics (+9.7%).

The fallout of the pandemic, Brexit and Visa and migration issues mean the natural churn of staff has accelerated in the leisure industry, leaving that industry to compete with the entire service industry, including retail and big hospitality brands, for workers.

In contrast, Ship and Hovercraft Officers (-9.6%), Water and Sewerage Plant Operatives (-8.1%), Building and Civil Engineering Technicians (-5.4%), and Postal Workers, Mail Sorters, Messengers and Couriers (-5.1%) saw the biggest falls in job adverts.

Derby (+27.6%) saw the greatest growth in job adverts in the week of 2-8 Jan 2023, followed by Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (+8.4%), Norwich and East Norfolk (+8.3%), and East Cumbria (+8.0%).

But Orkney Islands (-9.3%) saw the largest decline in job adverts, followed by Causeway Coast and Glens (-3.6%), Manchester (-3.4%), and City of Bristol (-3.4%).

Elena Magrini, Head of Global Research, Lightcast, said:

“After the annual Christmas dip in job postings, the first couple of weeks of 2023 have seen postings rise to 180,000, which is close to the average we saw throughout 2022. Even more significantly, new postings are up 24.5% compared to the same time last year. What this suggests is that despite the economic uncertainties of recent months and rising inflation, hiring plans continue to be strong, with significant numbers of new jobs being posted as employers continue to seek new talent and grow their business.”

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 between 2 and 8 January 2023. 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.

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.

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