The number of new job postings in the UK declined in August 2025, reflecting the traditional summer slowdown in hiring.
According to the latest Labour Market Tracker from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) there were 661,639 new job postings during the month, a fall of 3.8% compared with July.
The total number of active postings stood at 1,447,620, down by 1.6% on the previous month but still above 1.4 million.
The REC said August typically brought a lull in recruitment as employers and jobseekers take holiday time, while businesses often delayed hiring decisions until the autumn.
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This pattern was also seen last year, when both new and active postings dropped in August 2024. REC noted that weak seasonal hiring this year and the impact of past Budget decisions had left some employers cautious, though overall demand for staff remained resilient.
Neil Carberry, REC chief executive, said the August slumber had hampered recovery from a slow summer but pointed to opportunities across sectors including logistics, finance, IT, education and health. He suggested that forthcoming Treasury measures could provide businesses with confidence as they prepared for festive demand.
Carberry said: “The UK’s fiscal outlook and longer-term prospects remain solid, bolstered by the likelihood of further US investment linked to the US president’s state visit. A short-lived lull in hiring should not distract us from the underlying strength of our labour market.
“If the government pursues its employment agenda pragmatically, and the chancellor avoids pulling any unwelcome surprises out of the Budget-day hat, employers will have the stability to help the labour market shake off its summer slumber.”
Regional differences were evident, however. Northern Ireland and the East Midlands recorded the strongest growth in postings, while the Isle of Wight and parts of West Sussex and Northern Ireland saw the sharpest falls.
Sector data highlighted wider summer trends. Hospitality postings fell by more than a fifth compared with last summer, although demand for chefs and waiting staff rose between July and August. Tourism roles also fell, with only managers and directors in the creative industries showing growth on the year. Construction vacancies dropped overall but rail maintenance and energy production managers bucked the trend. Agriculture also declined, though forestry workers saw higher demand than in 2024.
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