Job postings in the UK rise to 1.6 million in March - REC

(Alliance News) - UK hiring activity picked up in March despite ongoing economic and geopolitical ...

Alliance News 23 April, 2026 | 11:03PM
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(Alliance News) - UK hiring activity picked up in March despite ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, with job postings rising above 1.6 million, according to data from Recruitment & Employment Confederation.

The REC's labour market tracker showed there were 1.62 million active job postings in March, up 5.6% from February and 5.1% higher than a year earlier. The number of new job postings rose 3.5% on-month to 770,979, and increased 7.1% annually.

The increase marks a continued rebound in hiring since December, supported by stronger-than-expected pre-Easter demand.

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said the data point to improving labour market conditions despite headwinds.

"Employers were clearly signalling that an upturn in hiring in the spring was likely at the turn of the year. Today's report shows that improvement is happening despite some of the challenges the economy faces right now," he said.

"How long this can sustain is the key question."

Carberry added that the outlook will depend partly on geopolitical developments, particularly the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, as well as domestic policy decisions.

"Resolving the crisis in the Gulf would obviously make a major contribution to sustaining this cyclical upturn – but even without international progress, the government at home has options," he said.

The REC said hiring gains were broad-based, with no UK region experiencing a decline in active job postings during the month.

The strongest growth was recorded in the Isle of Wight, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Torbay, South Nottinghamshire, and Hackney & Newham, with several London areas featuring among the top hiring hotspots.

By occupation, the biggest monthly increases were seen in roles such as authors, writers and translators, postal and courier workers, and aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers.

Sector data pointed to particularly strong demand in logistics and hospitality.

Logistics job postings rose 11% compared with a year earlier and 9.1% on-month, supported by increased demand for transport and distribution roles.

Hospitality vacancies increased 5.6% annually and nearly 16% from February, with strong growth in managerial positions.

Retail, however, remained weaker overall, with job postings down slightly from a year earlier, reflecting declines across many customer-facing roles.

By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter

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