The job market continues to show improvement ahead of the Autumn Budget in terms of the number of adverts, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) monthly Labour Market Tracker.
The number of active job postings has shown a small but steady increase since May 2025, despite a typical summer slowdown in August 2025.
The number of new job postings in the UK in October 2025 was 754,359 – up by 2.1% from September 2025. This was reflected in the overall number of active job postings in October 2025, which was 1,669,395 – an increase of 2.1% on the number of job postings in September 2025. Overall, the job market remains resilient, with active job postings staying steady above 1.4 million, the REC said.
Looking back to last year, active postings were 7.5% higher in October 2025 than in the same month last year. When comparing different parts of the UK, London (6.7%) and Northern Ireland (8.2%) showed the highest increase in the total number of job postings.
A boost for Reeves
Commenting on the data, REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry noted that employer confidence in hiring is inching upwards this autumn, but the recovery is still fragile.
“The Chancellor should make boosting business confidence to invest a priority for the Budget next week. We can’t afford the kind of fright that was delivered by the Halloween Budget of 2024.
“Festive hiring trends are always notable at this time of year, with retail and logistics adverts ramping up, We may see hospitality follow this month, fuelling hopes for seasonal jobseekers. Many roles offer the kinds of flexible hours or temp contracts which are ideal for young people to enter the job market and those balancing work with caring responsibilities.”
Carberry warned that the Autumn Budget must restore employer confidence to invest by tackling the costs of employment, giving firms greater certainty on skills support that meets their needs, and taking a pragmatic approach to the Employment Rights Bill. “Realism and not rigidity is what will unlock the growth,” he said.
Top jobs
The Labour Market Tracker shows an increase in job postings this month, Medical Radiographers (36.4%), Delivery Drivers and Couriers (31.1%), and Further Education Teaching Professionals (25.0%).
But Registered Tool Makers, Tool Fitters and Markers-out (-16.8%), Veterinarians (-19.5%), and Plasterers (-23.7%) all showed the largest decrease in roles from September to October 2025.
For the second month in a row, Causeway Coast and Glens (22.0%) showed the biggest increase in job postings, followed by Mid and East Antrim (17.6%) and Newry, Mourne and Down (16.0%).
Meanwhile, Breckland and South Norfolk (-10.4%), Bedford (-11.6%), and North and West Norfolk (-12.3%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.
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