Businesses cut back on hiring ahead of the budget amid worries about further tax rises, according to a new survey.
Advertised vacancies in November fell 6.4% month-on-month across the UK economy, the fifth straight month of decline, according to Adzuna, a job posting site.
The 15.23% decline in the number of available roles against November 2024 was the largest annual decline of 2025.
Competition in the labour market has heated over the past month. Adzuna calculated that there were more than two candidates for every available role in the UK.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “November is historically a strong month for hiring. The latest contraction is yet further proof employers are erring on the side of caution, with the recent autumn budget adding further uncertainty as we head into the festive period.
“It all contributes to the fact that 2025 has been one of the toughest environments for jobseekers across almost every corner of the market, particularly among people entering the market for the first time.”
There was a 24.7% fall in the number of entry-level jobs to the lowest level since 2021. Youth unemployment is now rising at the fastest pace among the G7 nations.
Graduate vacancies plummeted 17.9% in November, leaving them 44.8% lower than a year ago, even though average graduate pay is up 2.8% year-on-year.
While inflation drops to 3.2%, wages continue to grow. Adzuna’s data shows the average UK salary rose 7.67% annually to £42,687 in November, up 0.37% on the month before.
Annual public sector pay grew 7.6% compared to the private sector’s 3.9%. Regionally, Wales saw double-digit annual wage growth (12.14%), a consistent trend since January, with Scotland second with average wage growth of 9.55%.
IT wages jumped 2.13% in November and 12.68% annually to £61,969, making it the highest-paid sector in the UK. Only two sectors – Energy, Oil and Gas, and Travel – saw annual wages drop (1.68% and 2.24%).
2026 picture brighter
New data from international recruitment firm Robert Half has revealed that UK employers are entering 2026 with a strong appetite for growth, despite ongoing economic uncertainty.
The research shows that 47% of businesses plan to increase headcount across key professional functions- including finance & accounting, IT, administrative, marketing and legal – in the first half of the year.
This marks a significant rise from 36% in the second half of 2025, signalling renewed confidence and a focus on strategic expansion.
Demand for finance and accounting professionals is particularly acute, with 58% of employers planning to expand permanent headcount in this remit in the first half of 2026, up from 50% in the previous six months.
Contract hiring is also rising, with 43% of businesses planning to add temporary support compared to 39% in the latter half of 2025.
#Job #vacancies #decline #month #row #Daily #Business