Job advert numbers stable as lockdown starts to ease

• 137,000 new job adverts posted in the first week of March, giving a total of 1.33 million active job adverts in the UK
• Weekly number of new postings has remained stable through lockdown, and at a significantly higher level than spring 2020
• Significant growth in adverts for home improvement job such as roofers, plasterers, gardeners and painter-decorators
• Notable rise in job adverts in Dunbartonshire, Isle of Wight and West Northants
• London’s jobs market continues to struggle, with a 15% drop in new postings and notable falls in active postings in Redbridge & Waltham Forest and Brent

There were 137,000 new job adverts posted online in the first week of March, totalling to 1.33 million active job adverts in the UK, according to the REC’s latest Jobs Recovery Tracker.

The number of new job postings remained broadly stable throughout the most recent lockdown, as companies wait out restrictions. But it is noteworthy that new postings are at a much higher level than during the first lockdown – there were 52% more new job adverts posted in the first week of March 2021 than in the first week of April 2020, and 31% more than in the first week of July 2020. With lockdown measures beginning to ease, we would expect to see further growth in new postings in the coming months.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said:

“These new job advert figures show just how resilient the labour market has been through this lockdown, and are a good reminder that we are in a much better place than at the height of the pandemic. We should start to see hiring activity bounce back in the coming months as more people are vaccinated and restrictions are lifted. Recruiters tell me that hiring is strong for experienced professionals who can be onboarded from home, and for those businesses – like construction firms – where workplaces are open. It’s also encouraging to see sectors like leisure and retail starting to prepare to re-open.

“As restrictions ease, we expect to see increased hiring for staff who need more support in their first few months, like early career workers. Progress on the government’s roadmap will help boost hiring for this group – and help our major cities catch up. Some regions of the UK, particularly London, are still struggling. The gradual easing of lockdown should help to grow the economy, but businesses and workers will need help getting back on their feet. Focusing support on helping workers transition to growing areas. For instance a radical reform to the apprenticeship levy would help workers, including those in temporary roles, to benefit from training and fill the skills needs in the economy.”