In a significant shift for the UK job market, July witnessed the first substantial monthly rise in vacancies in 2024, with job listings up by 1.1 percent compared to June, reaching 862,043.
The increase provides a glimmer of hope for job seekers, signalling a potential improvement in employment prospects after months of declining figures.
According to the latest UK Job Market Report by Adzuna, the uptick in vacancies comes amid renewed business confidence driven by stronger-than-expected economic growth and the election of a new government.
While this increase is a welcome change, the market still faces significant challenges. Compared to the same period last year, vacancies are down by 17.69 percent, underscoring the long road to full recovery. Average advertised salaries, meanwhile, saw only a slight month-on-month rise, increasing by just 0.08 percent to £38,863. Despite this minimal growth, salaries are up by 2.95 percent year-on-year.
However, competition for available roles remains fierce. Job seekers per vacancy rose to 2.09 in July, marking the highest level of competition since May 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jobs are also being filled more quickly, with the average time to fill a position dropping to 35.6 days, down slightly from 36 days in June.
What is causing the increase in vacancies?
The report highlights several sectors driving the increase in vacancies. Domestic Help and Cleaning roles surged by 12.72 percent month-over-month, while Graduate positions climbed 3.7 percent to 21,399, reflecting growing optimism in junior-level hiring. Other sectors seeing growth include Legal (+3.03%), Manufacturing (+2.74%), and Logistics & Warehouse (+2.15%). However, industries like Charity & Voluntary (-8.04%) and Hospitality & Catering (-4.58%) continued to struggle, posting declines in job openings.
The growing competition for jobs is partly due to a decline in salary transparency. Only 46.3 percent of job adverts in July disclosed salary information, the lowest level since Adzuna began tracking this metric in 2016. Over half of job postings now omit salary details, further complicating job seekers’ decisions.
Regional Trends and Sectoral Shifts
Regionally, the West Midlands led the way in annual salary growth, with advertised wages rising 5.62 percent year-on-year to £37,291, closely followed by the East Midlands (+5.59%) and Eastern England (+4.93%). Northern Ireland, however, lagged behind with a modest 1.08 percent rise in advertised salaries, marking sluggish growth compared to the rest of the UK.
Among sectors, Warehouse work remains the most in-demand role, topping Adzuna’s Trending Jobs list for 14 consecutive months. Cleaners and Sales Assistants are also seeing high demand, with Social Care Workers falling to sixth place.
Optimism and Uncertainty Ahead over vacancies
James Neave, Head of Data Science at Adzuna, notes that the July figures reflect newfound optimism in the job market. “An increase of 1.1 percent may seem small, but it’s notable for this time of year when hiring often slows due to summer holidays. The boost in Graduate roles, in particular, suggests that businesses are more confident about the future,” Neave said.
Despite these encouraging signs, the road to full recovery remains uncertain. With job competition rising and salary transparency at record lows, the outlook for job seekers continues to be a mix of opportunity and challenge. As the UK moves into the latter half of the year, all eyes will be on whether this momentum can be sustained and translated into broader recovery.
Adzuna’s UK Job Market Report is based on over 1,000 sources and provides a detailed snapshot of the job market across all regions.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
