UK Job Market Gets a Little Extra Pep In June
It’s been a bit of a roller‑coaster for the UK labour forces—unemployment hit 4.7%, the highest in four years, while UK‑wide economic growth has been slower than a Sunday stroll. Yet, the latest Adzuna pay‑check on the job listings shows a decent uptick. Vacancy numbers rose by +2.68% to 875,546 positions in June, the biggest yearly jump since July 2022. The 4th month in a row that the job market beats its previous year, and month‑on‑month figures finally bumped up after two late‑summer slumps.
Why the Numbers Matter (and Cheer)
- Unemployment at 4.7% (in the 3‑months to May) – sounding alarming, but the inactivity rate has dipped to 9.1 million.
- Average announced salaries kept climbing: £42,397 in June, a ~9.2% rise year‑over‑year.
- Minimum wage boost of +6.7% in April translated into a real‑terms pay lift that’s been going strong since mid‑2022.
Sector Snapshot: Who’s Hiring and Who’s Not?
Looking at the big players:
- Construction +16% (biggest monthly jump), followed by IT (+5.1%), Legal (+6.2%) and Marketing (+5%).
- Health & Nursing continues the downward trend, down –7.38% from May.
- Trade & Creative & Design +8.5% & +7% respectively – a nice mix of traditional and tech.
Salary Dark‑Side: Who’s Seeing the Hits and Who’s Feeling the Backswing
Not all is sunshine:
- Energy, Oil & Gas, Maintenance and Travel saw the biggest month‑over‑month cuts of –3.25%, –2.79%, –2.65%.
- Good news: Logistics & Warehouse +20.06%, Teaching +15.28%, IT +12.05% and Customer Service +10.29% dived into double‑digit growth.
- Thanks to Newcastle, Northern Ireland leads the salary rally at £40,955 on average.
Early‑Career Crunch
Entry‑level roles have been bumping down –30.4% since late 2022 (when ChatGPT went live). Graduate listings dipped a little in June but are still down an extra 27.2% from the previous year. Only 24.5% of vacancies now are “entry”‑level – their lowest since Aug 2021.
Hiring Speed: How Fast You Get Filled
The average time-to-hire hovered around 36 days. IT positions now take 42.7 days, Energy and Oil & Gas 42 days, and Admin and Legal stay the fastest at 32-33 days.
Region Love‑Sick: Which Area Is Shining?
- London has the best payday (£48,643) and a strong rise in vacancies (+5.88% YoY).
- East & South East, plus Northern Ireland, now topped a dozen regions with average salaries over £40,000.
- The South West feels the least competition – just 1.3 jobseekers per vacancy.
Trending Pulse
Healthcare Support Workers keep the top spot in Adzuna’s “Trending Jobs” for June, while the Social Care role sits right next to them. Warehouse Workers see a resurgence. Top five entries? You guessed it: Healthcare Assistant, Sales Assistant, Project Manager, Software Developer, and a handful of support roles.
Andrew Hunter’s Take
“June feels like a turning of the wheel for the UK labour market. The month‑on‑month growth finally opens a hopeful door, and the yearly jump at 4.7% in unemployment shows we’re inching toward a better place,” says Andrew, co‑founder of Adzuna. He adds that strong salary moves coupled with a steady downward trend in inactivity might just mean a future where we all can make a decent living—if employers can keep the momentum going.
Catch the updates on your device or subscribe to stay in the loop. Remember, the UK job market is a story in the making—of hope, hustle, and just enough humour to keep us moving forward.
