The UK has shown an unexpected rise in job vacancies despite unfavorable economic forecasts. According to Adzuna, an employment services company, in February, the number of advertisements from employers increased by 3.7% compared to January, showing the highest monthly increase in three years.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, while highlighting the positive trend, emphasized the surprising nature of what is happening given the country's weak economic growth. Conducting a year-over-year analysis, the company's experts found that the decline in job openings was only 0.8%, representing the smallest drop since July 2022.
Observing the current situation, Hunter expressed interest in how the labor market will be affected by the new expenses for employers being introduced in April. Given the upcoming minimum wage hike of almost 7% and an increase in employer social contributions announced by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves in the October budget, experts anticipate significant changes in the labor market.