• The number of overall active job postings in February 2025 was 1,550,191 – an increase of 0.1% on the number of job postings in January 2025.
• Scotland (7.7%) and the East Midlands (2.0%) had the highest increase in job postings, whereas the decrease was in South West (1.2%) and the North East (0.9%).
• The number of new job postings in the UK was 681,898 – down by 10.8% from January 2025. This number will have been affected by January being a traditional stronger month for firms going to market, while February is a shorter month. 
• Increase in hiring for construction.

The jobs market is showing greater stability, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)/ Lightcast monthly Labour Market Tracker.

The number of overall active job postings in February 2025 was 1,550,191 – an increase of 0.1% on the number of job postings in January 2025. The number of new job postings in February 2025 in the UK was 681,898 – down by 10.8% from January 2025. But a drop in new postings compared to January 2025 was expected because there is a traditional upturn in hiring at the very start of the year, and February is a shorter month with a school holiday week.

The number of overall active job postings in January 2025 was up 7.2% on the number of job postings in December 2024. That marked the first time that job postings have risen since June 2024, and we record a second month of a weak rise today. The number of new job postings in January 2025 was up by 34.4% on December 2024, which compared favourably to the 27.9% increase in new postings in January 2024.

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

“Firms have been working hard to find growth in the face of rising costs since the Budget, and it is reassuring that some are now feeling more ready to hire. Growing stability of demand will reassure recruiters and policymakers, given the challenging outlook for business on National Insurance hikes, wage increases, global political shifts and uncertainty about the future impact of the Employment Rights Bill.

“The significant increase in construction job adverts is notable given recent concerns about the strength of this bellwether sector. The same applies to the substantial rise in adverts for parts of the under-pressure hospitality sector. We await a sustained recovery in IT recruitment, but there are still opportunities for such workers with 30,000 job postings for Programmers and Software Development Professionals and nearly 12,000 for IT Business Analysts, Architects and Systems Designers.

“The government must deliver a Spring Statement that is not only optimistic but also lays out a clear long-term growth strategy to unlock more of the latent demand for hiring and investment that we believe is out there. Achieving this requires working in partnership with business to close skills gaps, drive innovation, and expand job opportunities. Government should deliver a great pitch and let business take care of the result.”

Sectors:

Information Technology:

Overall, the sector had a 3.4% decrease in the number of job postings from January to February 2025. Most roles saw a decrease in job postings, but Data Entry Administrators again saw the biggest uptick in postings, rising 10.4% from the previous month (the only IT occupation that saw a rise in the number of job postings). This follows a 6.3% increase from December 2024 to January 2025. The IT roles with the smallest decreases in February 2025 were: IT Quality and Testing Professionals (-1.7%), IT Project Managers (-2.1%) and Data Analysts (-2.1%).

Construction

There were over 117,000 job postings in construction in February 2025. This is a 4.7% increase from January 2025 and follows a 13.2% increase from December 2024. Overall, most construction jobs saw an increase in February 2025 as compared to January 2025. The following were the roles with the biggest increase: Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives (20.3%), Stonemasons and Related Trades (19.9%) and Plasterers (16.5%).

Administration

In February 2025 there were over 119,000 job posts in the administrative sector. This is an increase of 0.4% as compared to January 2025. Most roles in the administrative sector saw an increase in job postings, including Communication Operators (7.2%), National Government Administrative Occupations (6.3%) and Financial Administrative Occupations n.e.c.(5.5%).

Today’s Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month for Gardeners and Landscape Gardeners (33.1%), Teaching Professionals n.e.c. (22.7%) and Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives (20.3%)

Veterinary Nurses (-23.1%), Delivery Drivers and Couriers (-30.1%) and Train and Tram Drivers (-35.3%) all showed the largest decline in roles from January to February 2025.

West Dunbartonshire (24.7%), Argyll and Bute (23.5%) and East Lothian and Midlothian (20.1%) showed the highest increase in job postings. All 10 of the top 10 counties that had the highest increase in job postings were based in Scotland.

Whereas Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton (-6.8%), Mid Ulster (-7.6%) and Central Bedfordshire (-13.7%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.