Labour Market Tracker: Pre-Budget boost for Chancellor as job postings pick up - REC

• The number of new job postings in the UK in October 2025 was 754,359 – up by 2.1% from September 2025. This is after the number of new job postings in the UK increased by 11.3% from August to September 2025
• This was reflected in the overall number of active job postings in October 2025, which was 1,669,395 – an increase of 2.1% on the number of job postings in September 2025.
• Looking back to last year, active postings were 7.5% higher in October 2025 than in the same month last year.
• When comparing different parts of the UK, London (6.7%) and Northern Ireland (8.2%) showed the highest increase in the total number of job postings.

The job market continues to show improvement ahead of the Autumn Budget in terms of number of adverts, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) monthly Labour Market Tracker.

The number of active job postings has shown a small but steady increase since May 2025, despite a typical summer slowdown in August 2025.

The number of new job postings in the UK in October 2025 was 754,359 – up by 2.1% from September 2025. This was reflected in the overall number of active job postings in October 2025, which was 1,669,395 – an increase of 2.1% on the number of job postings in September 2025. Overall, the job market remains resilient with active job postings staying steady above 1.4 million.

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said:

“Employer confidence in hiring is inching upwards this autumn, but the recovery is still fragile. The Chancellor should make boosting business confidence to invest a priority for the Budget next week. We can’t afford the kind of fright that was delivered by the Halloween Budget of 2024.

“Festive hiring trends are always notable at this time of year, with retail and logistics adverts ramping up, We may see hospitality follow this month, fuelling hopes for seasonal jobseekers. Many roles offer the kinds of flexible hours or temp contracts which are ideal for young people to enter the job market and those balancing work with caring responsibilities.

“The Autumn Budget must restore employer confidence to invest by tackling costs of employment, giving firms greater certainty on skills support that meets their needs and taking a pragmatic approach to the Employment Rights Bill. Realism and not rigidity is what will unlock the growth.”

Today’s Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month Medical Radiographers (36.4%), Delivery Drivers and Couriers (31.1%) and Further Education Teaching Professionals (25.0%).

But Registered Tool Makers, Tool Fitters and Markers-out (-16.8%), Veterinarians (-19.5%) and Plasterers (-23.7%) all showed the largest decrease in roles from September to October 2025.

For the second month in a row, Causeway Coast and Glens (22.0%) showed the biggest increase in job postings, followed by Mid and East Antrim (17.6%) and Newry, Mourne and Down (16.0%).

Meanwhile, Breckland and South Norfolk (-10.4%), Bedford (-11.6%) and North and West Norfolk (-12.3%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.

Sector trends:

Hospitality:

The number of total hospitality job postings declined by 3.7% in October after increasing by 11.0% from August to September 2025.

The highest increase in job postings included: Cleaning and Housekeeping Managers and Supervisors (3.8%); Leisure and Travel Service Occupations n.e.c. (2.1%); and Kitchen and Catering Assistants (0.3%)

Retail:

Retail roles increased by 2.3% from September to October 2025. Shelf Fillers (17.8%), Roundspersons and Van Salespersons (16.9%) and Elementary Sales Occupations n.e.c. (14.4%) had among the highest growth in postings.

Driving and logistics:

Driving and logistics roles increased by 1.8% from September to October 2025. Delivery Drivers and Couriers (31.1%), Taxi and Cab Drivers and Chauffeurs (21.3%) and Directors in Logistics, Warehousing and Transport (17.0%) all showed the highest increase 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 October 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.

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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:

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

Key indicator occupations