Healthcare support workers are currently the most sought-after professionals in the UK job market, new research reveals, signalling key areas of demand within the economy.
Data from jobs site Adzuna indicates that social care workers, sales assistants, and warehouse staff are also experiencing high demand from employers.
Other roles attracting significant interest include software developers, cleaners, healthcare assistants, labourers, and project managers.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “May reinforced the sense that the job market in the UK is gradually regaining its footing.”
He highlighted a positive shift, noting: “While overall vacancies dipped slightly, we’ve now seen three straight months of annual vacancy growth – a clear shift after more than a year of decline.”
Mr Hunter also pointed to rising remuneration.
“Advertised salaries continue to climb, too, with average pay up nearly 9 per cent compared to last year, comfortably outpacing inflation,” he said.
Despite the overall positive outlook, Mr Hunter expressed a watchful concern for specific sectors.
“While certain sectors remain in strong demand and provide a backbone of stability, we will be keeping a close eye on the decline in roles for the previously steady healthcare and nursing sector, and how that may play out over the coming months.”
The research also found that the average time to fill a job stands at approximately 35 days, with a ratio of two jobseekers for every available vacancy.
Business activity picks up
Activity across the UK’s private sector has grown in June as some easing of US tariff policy helped lift business sentiment, data from a separate survey shows.
The volume of new business returned to growth in June, ending a six-month period of contraction, the survey found.
This was primarily driven by the service sector – the largest part of the UK’s economy, spanning industries including hospitality, entertainment and culture, finance and real estate.
A further slight expansion of activity in the sector was contrasted by another drop in production for manufacturers, led by a decline in overseas export orders.
Concerns over the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on US imports were partly behind the slump, despite some businesses saying confidence had improved as a result of the president striking new trade deals with countries including the UK.