Employers across the UK are waiting longer than usual to hire for Christmas, the latest data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation suggests.

The number of active postings in the week of 16-22 October 2023 was 2,150,083, a 7.9% increase compared to the previous week (9-15 October 2023) but 57.7% higher than the year before (11-17 October 2022). According to the REC, the figure is high partly because roles are still taking a long time to fill amid a labour and skills shortage in some key sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, engineering and logistics.

Meanwhile, there were 171,633 new job postings in the week of 16-22 October 2023, 6.2% lower than the week before (9-15 October 2023) but 17.1% higher than the year before (11-17 October 2022). New job postings have remained above 140,000 since January 2022.

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said, "Although the number of new job postings is down, overall volume remains well ahead of pre-pandemic levels. The picture varies widely by sector, with a few shortage sectors driving demand right now."

"We may get another uptick in new job postings because of seasonal hiring before things cool right down at the close of the year," Carberry said. "It looks like employers' caution about Christmas demand has led them to wait a few weeks longer than normal to hire. It means jobseekers are just beginning to see signs of a flurry of opportunities to find flexible work with quick starts, in sectors such as retail, hospitality and logistics."

Occupations with notable increases in active job adverts in the week of 16-22 October 2023 include postal workers, mail sorters, messengers and couriers (+52.0), roundspersons and van salespersons (+17.1%), and typists and related keyboard occupations (+14.4%). Street cleaners (+14.1), ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) (+13.7), and weighers, graders and sorters (+13.0) roles also saw high growth.

Actors, entertainers and presenters (+1.8), leisure and travel service occupations (+2.4), market research interviewers (+2.7) and vehicle body builders and repairers (+2.8) saw the lowest growth in job adverts.

Across the UK, Powys (+14.2), Orkney Islands (+11.6), and Causeway Coast and Glens (+11.3) saw notable increases in job adverts. No region saw a decline in job adverts in the week of 16-22 October 2023 compared to the previous week (9-15 October 2023). Ealing (+4.6), East Riding of Yorkshire (+5.6), Gwynedd (+5.7), and Bradford (+5.7) accounted for the lowest growth in job adverts.

Within health and social care, the REC's data showed a more than 100% rise in active job postings in September 2023 compared to pre-pandemic February 2020 for medical and dental technicians (128.5%), midwives (129.2%) and pharmacy and other dispensing assistants (194.6%).

Furthermore, there was a 91.8% rise in job postings in September 2023 compared to pre-pandemic February 2020 for nursing auxiliaries and assistants and 81.8% for nursery nurses and assistants.

Comparing September 2023 to pre-pandemic February 2020, there is a 95% rise in job postings for senior care workers and 43.5% for care workers and home carers. There was also no let up in demand for nurses, with demand about the same as in February 2020.

When comparing September 2023 to pre-pandemic February 2020, there is a near doubling in demand for health worker roles (excluding nurses) in England, apart from London. There was also a rise in job postings for social care roles in the UK outside London when comparing September 2023 to pre-pandemic February 2020.