Vacancy Tracker - October 2025

Each month, we analyse UK job vacancy data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to understand workforce challenges in the Motor Trades sector.

Motor Trades vacancies rose to 19,000 between July and September 2025, continuing an upward trend after earlier declines. This suggests sustained recruitment demand across the automotive sector, even as national hiring slows.

Automotive vacancies: September 2025 at a glance

• Vacancy rate: 3.3%
• UK industry rank: 1 out of 22
• Approximate open positions: 19,000
• Year-on-year change: -26%
• Two-year change: -24%

Motor Trades vacancies increased from 17,000 in April to June to 19,000, reversing much of the early 2025 decline. While still below 2023 levels, this rise points to renewed hiring across vehicle-related roles

Although overall vacancies stay below last year’s levels, the sector continues to face stronger recruitment pressure than most other UK sectors.

Early outlook

With a 3.3% vacancy rate, Motor Trades sits above the UK average of 2.2% and ranks fifth among 22 industries for recruitment pressure.

• Education recorded one of the lowest rates at 1.6%.
• Retail recorded 1.8%.
• Accommodation and food services stayed higher at 3.1%, though below previous peaks.

These figures underline the sector’s ongoing struggle to attract and retain qualified staff.

Quarterly vacancy figures

UK employers reported 717,000 vacancies between July and September 2025, down 1.4% on the previous quarter and 14% lower than the same period in 2024. Vacancy levels stay around 8% below those seen before the pandemic (January to March 2020).

In the Motor Trades, consistently high vacancy numbers suggest a growing skills gap between industry demand and the supply of qualified workers. Ongoing shortages highlight the sector’s difficulty in attracting new talent and scaling up training to meet demand.

Evolving role

Motor Trades vacancies have now increased for several consecutive months. After widespread declines through most of 2024, the sector has seen steady growth in 2025, reflecting stronger recruitment activity across a range of roles.

Although vacancy levels stay below their 2023 peak, the upward trend suggests employers are re-engaging in hiring and that demand for skilled Motor Trades professionals is recovering.

Key takeaways

• Vacancies rise again
  Motor Trades reported 19,000 vacancies in July to September 2025, up from 17,000 in the previous quarter, continuing a steady rise in demand..
• Sector above national average
  With a vacancy rate of 3.3%, Motor Trades remains well above the UK average of 2.2% and ranks first among 22 industry sectors.
• Recruitment pressure persists
  Motor Trades vacancy rates continue to outpace those in education (1.6%) and retail (1.8%), highlighting ongoing recruitment challenges.
• UK-wide decline continues
  Total UK vacancies have fallen by around 280,000 compared with two years ago, reflecting broader weakness in the national labour market.