Labour Market Tracker: New job postings post small rise in April despite rise in business costs and Easter break - REC

• The number of new job postings in the UK in April 2025 was 729,029 – up by 0.4% on March 2025.
• The overall number of active job postings was 1,471,260 – a decrease of 4.8% on the number of job postings in March 2025.
• When comparing regions London (1.7%) and the South West (0.8%) were the only regions that had an increase in the total number of job postings.

New job postings rose marginally in April, while total active job posts remain above 1.4 million, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) / Lightcast monthly Labour Market Tracker. 

The overall number of active job postings in April 2025 was 1,471,260 – a decrease of 4.8% on the number of job postings in March 2025. But the number of new job postings in the UK was 729,029 – marginally up by 0.4% on March 2025. Recruiters report that the Easter holiday, rising costs and uncertainty about the effects of US tariffs all had an impact this month.

While there is stability in the job market despite the huge hit from rises in national insurance, real progress on job creation will need more growth momentum to pick up.

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

“The British labour market is resilient, but facing some strong headwinds this year from cost inflation and the impact of government policies like the National Insurance rise. These figures show that there is underlying demand, however. Getting confidence to hire and invest going is what matters most – and firms will be looking to government decisions that make growth easier, unlike the effect of last year’s Budget. Many firms report that fear of the Employment Rights Bill is holding up investment – one quick win for government is to reassure firms that application of the Bill will be staged, and done in a practical way that avoids tying businesses and workers up in the costs and complexity of the tribunal system. Real reform to the Bill is needed to achieve this.

“The dip in active job postings shows that employers are still cautious, but the slight rise in new postings suggests that hiring plans are still on the table. The resilience seen in London and the South West is a positive sign, as London in particular is often the leading indicator of change in our jobs market.”

International recruitment for care workers will end under plans announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, as part of the government’s new immigration white paper. Yet today’s Labour Markert Tracker shows 45,760 active job postings for care workers and home carers in April 2025

Neil Carberry said:

“Today’s data suggests that staff shortages in the care sector persist and reduction in access to international staff is likely to lead to more unfilled vacancies without more fundamental reform. The crisis in care has always been about cost to deliver care and affordability for the taxpayer and families. Just restricting international mobility for care work is not a solution to this – we need more fundamental reform.”

Today’s Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month for Business Sales Executives (90.0%), Environment Professionals (20.4%) and Dental Practitioners (19.8%).

Delivery Drivers and Couriers (-23.0%), Teaching Professionals n.e.c. (-25.9%) and Driving Instructors (-36.8%) all showed the largest decline in roles from March 2025 to April 2025.

Lambeth (45.1%), Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham (34.1%) and Westminster (33.3%) showed the highest increase in job postings. Of the top 10 counties/unitary authorities that had the highest increase in job postings nine were based in London. In fact, six of these London areas had either or close to 3,000 active job postings in April – with the area of Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton having 6,480 active job postings.

Fermanagh and Omagh (-22.8%), Newry, Mourne and Down (-23.4%) and Causeway Coast and Glens (-26.0%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.

Sectors:

Retail:

Tomorrow (Friday) will witness the publication of the April Great Britain retail sales figures, and the GfK UK Consumer Confidence Survey.

The retail sector saw a 3.9% decrease in the number of job postings from March to April 2025. The top three roles that had the highest increase were: Retail Cashiers and Check-out Operators (10.6%); Shelf Fillers (3.9%); and Call and Contact Centre Occupations (0.4%)

The three roles with the biggest decreases in that time period were: Collector Salespersons and Credit Agents (-8.9%); Elementary Sales Occupations n.e.c. (-9.4%); and Telephone Salespersons (-13.0%).

Construction:

Overall, the sector had a 4.3% decrease in the number of job postings from March to April 2025.

Most roles saw a decrease in job postings, but Painters and Decorators had the biggest uptick in postings, rising 12.1% from the previous month (March 2025). Other such roles to show an increase in that period (March 2025 to April 2025) include Scaffolders, Stagers and Riggers (7.2%), Assemblers (Electrical and Electronic Products) (5.9%) and Plasterers (5.1%).

Engineering:

There were over 67,000 Engineering roles posted in April 2025. This is a 3.5% decrease from March 2025.

The following were the roles with the biggest increase: Aerospace Engineers (6.9%), Engineering Professionals n.e.c. (3.3%), Building and Civil Engineering Technicians (1.7%).

The roles with the greatest falls in demand between March 2025 to April 2025 were Production and Process Engineers (-5.0%), Science, Engineering and Production Technicians n.e.c. (-6.0%) and Engineering Technicians (-6.4%).

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 April 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.

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