Employers appear to have become a little less generous in their benefits offered in job postings over the past year.
New data from jobs board Indeed shows the share of UK job postings mentioning at least one benefit stood at 64.6% in September, down from 66.7% a year ago.
“That may signal that some combination of easing competition for talent and financial pressures linked to rising employment costs may have prompted some organisations to scale back their offerings. That said, the share has climbed substantially in recent years and remains high overall,” Indeed said.
The group noted that most types of benefit have seen falls over the last twelve months. Travel to work, flexibility, food and financial perks have seen the largest percentage point declines. The only category to see an increase was medical/dental benefits.
Financial perks (which will include benefits higher pension matching), travel to work, and time off are some of the most common benefits mentioned in UK job advertisements.
While a decline in benefits can broadly be attributed to the macroeconomic environment and cost-cutting measures, Indeed noted that is not always the case, Indeed said.
“Declines in offered benefits may not all be able to be attributed to firms tightening their belts. For example, prior to 2019, roughly 7% of UK job postings mentioned childcare benefits. That share declined sharply after the implementation of new policies at the end of 2018 ended the previous childcare vouchers scheme,” the group said.
“How benefit offerings evolve in 2026 will likely depend on whether the labour market picks up or remains soft, with employers assessing the pros and cons of various reward packages amid cost constraints.”
Leave a Reply