UK Job Adverts Fell 7.7 Percent in April to 711,733

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation reported that the total number of new job adverts in April stood at 711,733. 6 per cent decrease compared to the previous year. Demand for nannies, au pairs, sales executives, and delivery drivers increased in recent weeks. Job adverts for aircraft pilots, air traffic controllers, travel agents, and train drivers recorded the largest reductions.

The easing momentum in the jobs market is attributed to several factors, including the Easter holidays, rising employment costs, and ongoing uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. The REC also warned that political instability within the UK could further dampen recruitment efforts in the coming months.

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the REC, said: “The labour market is entering a more unpredictable phase after a solid start to the year. ” He added: “The question now is how much of that momentum employers can realistically recover over the summer amid sudden domestic political uncertainty and prolonged tensions in the Gulf.

2026 Research from CV-Library, released in February, showed that while many businesses had paused employment decisions while awaiting clarity from the Autumn Budget, almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of businesses “were prepared to increase hiring, either moderately or throughout 2026”.

Among those already doing so, engineering, hospitality, and construction sectors were displaying signs of growth in late 2025, with engineering as a sector having the higher number of open roles - over 377,000 across the final three months of last year.

Lee Biggins, CEO of CV-Library, noted there were “cautious signs of a recovery” but pointed to the wide range of costs businesses are facing as they weigh up whether or not to hire more staff. ai conducted an analysis which claimed remote roles were now more than four times as tough to land as office or hybrid roles – despite search for remote jobs being up 85 per cent.