Seasonal and graduate hiring has fuelled growth in the UK jobs market as Christmas approaches, a report has revealed.
Research by Adzuna showed around 23,000 new temporary roles are now being advertised in sectors such as catering, hospitality, retail and construction.
The jobs site’s UK Job Market Report found the number of vacancies had increased by 0.64% in the past six months, indicating a positive step forward from the challenging first half of 2024.
Graduate positions also experienced a boost, continuing the upward trend for the fifth consecutive month with vacancies rising by 0.1%, while salaries hit a record high of £25,101.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “2024 had a challenging start, with January vacancies falling close to -7% monthly and -15% annually, making it the gloomiest January on record. However, the second half of the year has shown signs of recovery and resilience.”
The data further showed the largest annual salary increase since April 2021, which is up 6.2% and brings the average annual earnings to £39,234. This also represents an increase of 6.19% year-on-year.
Hunter added: “This October, we saw the first positive six-month change in vacancy numbers. Driven by preparations for the busy Christmas shopping season, sectors like trade, construction and retail are ramping up hiring. We are excited to see where this leads as we head into the new year.”
However, despite an uplift in seasonal and graduate hiring, there was a 0.17% drop in vacancies in October.
Additionally, the number of jobseekers per available role remained at its highest level, up from 1.49 people per position to 2.08 – the highest since June 2021, when it was 2.07.
The report found jobs were posted for around 39.5 days before being filled, compared to an average of 35.8 days in the two months before October and the longest timeframe experienced since September 2022.
The data also showed a slight improvement in wage transparency last month, with around 47.68% of positions listing salary details within the advertisement compared to 46.34% in September. According to Adzuna, although this represents fewer than half of advertised roles, it’s a step in the right direction.
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