Job postings fall by over 40% since 2023 following NIC rise – Jooble

Job postings dropped by over 40% between early 2023 and mid-2025, with consistent year-on-year declines in both national and city-level volumes, according to data from Jooble. 

Major cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham saw vacancy numbers drop by 60% to 75% compared to 2023 levels. 

Despite this, the most posted roles stayed broadly the same, with only small shifts in demand for certain jobs.

An increase in employer national insurance contributions (NIC) in early 2024 led to questions about whether this has affected hiring. 

Research found a steady fall in job volumes from 2023 through to mid-2025. 

Between the first half of 2023 and the same period in 2024, vacancy numbers fell by around 24%. 

In the first half of 2025, there was a further decline of 25% compared to 2024. 

By early 2025, job postings were down more than 40% from early 2023.

In August 2023, vacancies jumped by 225% compared to July, but this kind of movement has not happened since. 

Job volumes in 2025 stayed well below the long-term median, with little change month to month. 

London had the biggest drop, with job postings in the first half of 2025 falling by more than 75% compared to the first half of 2023. 

Manchester saw a 60% fall over the same period.

Birmingham and Bristol each recorded drops between 65% and 70%. 

Leeds also saw vacancy numbers fall by nearly 60%. 

Even when there were small month-on-month increases, such as an 8% rise in June 2025 versus May, the overall trend stayed downward.

Additionally, data showed that project manager, BDM, support worker, maintenance engineer and quantity surveyor stayed in the top jobs posted from 2023 to mid-2025. 

Postings for these roles fell by 10% to 20% but remained the most listed. 

Teaching assistant was the most posted job in both the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025. 

Postings for this job fell by around 30% from mid-2024 to mid-2025, but it was still the most common vacancy. 

Other roles like chef, electrician, warehouse operative and management accountant moved in and out of the top ten, but overall numbers dropped into 2025.