Vacancy Tracker - April 2025

Each month, we track vacancy trends across the UK job market to assess workforce pressures in the Motor Trades sector based on the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) vacancy data.

This April 2025 update highlights short-term changes and longer-term patterns, warning that persistent vacancy gaps could challenge future recruitment, skills growth and business resilience.

Automotive Vacancies: April 2025 at a glance

• Motor Trades vacancies rose by 16% month-on-month
• Vacancy rate reached 2.9 vacancies per 100 employees in Motor Trades
• 17,000 Motor Trades vacancies were recorded
• Overall UK vacancies fell by 4% month-on-month
• Motor Trades vacancies dropped 22% year-on-year
• Total vacancies across all industries fell 14% year-on-year
• Other Service Activities saw the sharpest annual fall at 30%

Short-term vacancy trends

The latest ONS data shows a mixed picture across the UK job market. In Motor Trades, vacancies rose by 16% month-on-month, reaching 2.9 vacancies per 100 employees. This equates to around 17,000 open roles.

By contrast, total vacancies across the UK job market fell by 4% over the same period.

Longer-term changes

Despite the recent rise, Motor Trades vacancies have dropped by 22% compared to the same time last year. The sector has now fallen to sixth place overall for vacancy rates.

Across all industries, total vacancies fell by 14% year-on-year, with Other Service Activities experiencing the largest decline at 30%.