Job vacancies in the UK rose year-on-year in March for the first time since 2022 according to the latest UK job market report from Adzuna, writes David Connett.
The job site said the 3.7 per cent increase was coupled with an increase in average advertised pay to £41,962 (€49,368.5), up 8 per cent on the same time last year.
More vacancies in the travel sector (+8.6 per cent) and in hospitality and catering (+5.9 per cent) were part of a hiring spree ahead of Easter and summer, but the biggest annual vacancy growth was for social workers, up 18 per cent, legal work jobs, up 17.5 per cent, and in sales where job opportunities increased by almost 10 per cent last month.
Advertised vacancies are up month on month in all regions, led by Wales (+6.6 per cent), Northern Ireland (+5.8 per cent) and North East England (+5.6 per cent).
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “After more than two years of sluggish annual growth in vacancies, it’s encouraging to see modest year-on-year growth.
“This will help mitigate the worst fears around the impact of the national insurance and living wage increases.
“March’s rise in both advertised roles and salaries points to growing employer confidence – particularly across healthcare, social care and education.”
He added: “The sharp reversal in graduate hiring shows how fragile recovery can be, and employers may be waiting for clearer economic signals before committing to entry-level hiring.”
Graduate job ads increased 16.7 per cent from February to nearly 20,000 job roles.
While down 12.5 per cent compared with February 2024, it offers a glimmer of hope for those seeking work after graduation.