Analysis by CV-Library reveals total vacancies in Q4 2025 were higher than Q4 2024 and roughly on par with Q4 2023 – the first time in six quarters job vacancies have risen year-on-year.
A survey of employers conducted by CV-Library in December 2025 reported that 87% had paused hiring decisions heading into the Autumn Budget. However, longer term there was more positive news as 71% of businesses were prepared to increase hiring, either moderately or significantly, throughout 2026.
Engineering, Hospitality and Construction leading the way
Engineering, hospitality, and construction displayed signs of a hiring rebound in late 2025 after a weak Q4 in 2024, with engineering as a sector advertising the largest number of open roles at 377,264 in Q4 2025, followed by hospitality (catering) at 301,501 advertised vacancies.
Salary transparency lagging in private sector
Salary disclosure remains low, with fewer than half of job postings including pay details (48%). That is despite CV-Library data that shows roles that include a salary attract 60% more applications. In a candidate-rich market, it appears that recruiters are less compelled to display this information as they are experiencing a large volume of applications. By contrast, 65% of public sector roles include salary information.
Millennials disproportionately leaving payrolled employment
CV-Library's analysis also identified a potentially concerning trend: those leaving payrolled employment are disproportionately millennials – a cohort central to productivity, consumer spending and future leadership. Analysis of the latest ONS data shows that the 25-34 age group account for 76% of the reduction in payrolled employees over the past year. By contrast, employment in older age brackets, including 35-49 and 65+, saw modest growth.
Lee Biggins, Founder and CEO of CV-Library says:
“After years of depressing job market data, there are early, cautious signs of a recovery. It’s not time to break out the economic champagne just yet though; higher business rates, employment costs, and an employment rights bill that brings greater risk to hiring may yet derail any recovery. And it's a worry that Millennials in their prime early-career phase are being hit hardest when it comes to the reduction in payrolled employees. But, there are sectors like engineering and construction that are showing encouraging signs, and we’ll have to wait and see whether this continues into 2026.”
Read the full Q4 2025 Job Market Analysis here.
Methodology
CV-Library has access to a hugely rich pool of job market and candidate data that enables us to provide valuable insights to help recruiters, hiring managers, candidates, and policy makers. Every quarter we release findings drawing data from our own database of 21m+ candidate CVs, aggregated job listings from the whole market, ONS data and quantitative surveys of job seekers.
