Automotive Labour Market Briefing - November 2023

Vacancy rates in the sector continue to fall, yet there are still more than 23,000 vacancies

The automotive sector continues to recover with a further decline in vacancy rates, yet stays volatile, with high demand for all skilled roles in the past three months.
There is a continued cooling in job postings since the start of 2023. Despite this, the vacancy rate in the motor trades remains considerably higher — 40% above the average rate across all industries, which stands at 3.0.
Alongside this, the demand for skills is evolving, with an emphasis on machinery proficiency, strong work ethic, and increasingly, numerical expertise in areas like invoicing. Skills in sales are also beginning to resurge among all Technician types.
Overall, salary trends show an uptick across most roles, despite some disparities. Some roles, like Vehicle Body Builders, are above the government median salary range, while others, like Managers, lag behind. Notably, this marks the first occurrence of such a trend this year.