The number of new job postings in August 2024 fell by 3.2% from the prior month, according to the latest Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and Lightcast Labour Market Tracker.

There were 719,721 new job postings in August 2024. The number of overall active postings in August 2024 was 1,719,614, a decrease of 2.4% on the number of postings in July 2024 suggesting the market is still weakening, but only marginally.

Most  regions in the UK experienced small declines in the number of active job postings when compared to the previous month. Job postings increased in Scotland (9.9%) and Northern Ireland (8.0%) where the summer break ended mid-month. It is likely that the holiday effect slowed the market in England and Wales during the month, the tracker noted.

Fermanagh and Omagh (38.7%), Moray (26.4%) and the Scottish Borders (17.4%) had among the highest growth in job postings when compared to last month. Sheffield (-9.0%), Tower Hamlets (-10.1%) and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (-12.4%) all accounted for the sharpest decline in job postings.

The tracker also showed there was a sluggish start to hiring in summer seasonal roles this year compared to 2023, but hiring has picked up later this summer. Overall, in the tourism industry when comparing August (end of summer) to May (beginning of summer) job postings increased by 6.3%. The hospitality industry also experienced a late summer increase in job postings, up 5% in August when compared to May 2024.

The roles with the largest increase in job postings in August compared to May were leisure and sports managers and proprietors (15.5%), travel agents (11.5%) and leisure and theme park attendants (13.9%). Hospitality roles with the largest increase in job postings in August compared to May 2024 were restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors (8.4%), chefs (10.2%) and catering and bar managers (12.9%).

REC and Lightcast’s Labour Market Tracker also shows that for the second month in a row train and tram drivers had among the highest increase in job postings (23.8%) compared to July 2024. Other occupations that experienced increased job postings in August were probation officers (27.1%), prison service officers (13.7%), and fitness and wellbeing instructors (12.9%).

Primary education teaching professionals (-18.4%), educational support assistants (-19.1%) and secondary education teaching professionals (-22.0%) all showed the largest decline in roles from July to August 2024.

In the healthcare industry, dispensing opticians (4.7%) had the highest growth in job postings in the health and care sector. Whereas midwifery nurses (-24.0%), other psychologists (-22.8%) and registered community nurses (-22.5%) had the sharpest decline in job postings.

In the logistics and drivers’ industry, all roles saw a decline; overall, the industry sector saw a 16.3% decline in the number of job postings from July to August. Road transport drivers (not elsewhere classified) (-4.9%), large goods vehicle drivers (-9.1%) and warehouse operatives (11.8%) had the lowest decrease in the number of job postings. The steepest decline in job postings was for directors in logistics, warehousing and transport (-27.5%), delivery operatives (29.4%) and air transport operatives (29.9%).

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said in a press release, “There is no doubt that the jobs market remains slow by comparison to previous years, with summer holidays also affecting the pace of hiring. But there is little evidence of a sharp slowdown now. Firms are waiting for a clear signal on growth plans and the timing of potential additional cost challenges from the new government before making investment decisions, which makes the Budget next month a vital moment. Anecdote from REC members suggests that clarity on the timing and scope of both the Industrial Strategy and the Plan to Make Work Pay will also help to underpin decision-making and confidence.”

Carberry continued, “Consumer-facing sectors are particularly concerned about rumours of unwelcome additional challenges such as a rise in Employers’ National Insurance contributions. With sectors like hospitality and tourism struggling to adapt to a 20% rise in the minimum wage over the past two years, a slower start to the summer on hiring in these sectors was no surprise. It is great news that has picked up, but small businesses in these sectors need support, not headwinds on employment costs at this time.”