Vacancy Tracker - September 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.

The latest figures for June to August 2025 show that vacancies in the Motor Trades sector have risen after several months of decline, signalling a possible turning point. With an estimated 18,000 open positions, the sector continues to face strong recruitment pressure compared with much of the economy.

Automotive Vacancies: August 2025 at a glance

• Vacancy rate: 3.0%
• UK industry rank: 5 out of 22
• Approximate open positions: 18,000
• Year-on-year change: -12%
• Two-year change: -30%

Quarterly vacancy figures

Vacancies across all UK sectors stood at 728,000 between June and August 2025. This was slightly higher than the previous quarter but continues a long-term downward trend from nearly one million vacancies in mid-2023.

ONS reports this is a 1.4% fall compared with the previous quarter and a 14.0% decrease year-on-year, with total vacancies now 8.4% below pre-pandemic levels (January to March 2020).

Motor Trades recorded an increase from 14,000 vacancies in April to June 2025 to 18,000 in the latest period, reversing the decline earlier in the year.

Despite the fall compared with previous years, Motor Trades continues to report a higher vacancy rate than many other industries. The sector’s relative position highlights ongoing pressure in recruitment compared with the wider labour market.

Early outlook

Motor Trades vacancies returned to a 3.0% rate, above the UK average of 2.3%, placing the sector in the top five industries for vacancy pressure. By comparison:

• Education recorded one of the lowest vacancy rates at 1.6%.
• Retail recorded a lower rate of 1.8%.
• Accommodation and food services stay higher at 3.1%, though still below recent peaks.

These comparisons show that Motor Trades continues to experience stronger recruitment pressure than many other major industries.

Evolving role

The latest increase suggests that Motor Trades is no longer following the same downward path recorded through much of 2024. Vacancy levels are still well below their 2023 peak, but the latest figures mark a short-term rise after several quarters of decline.

Key takeaways

• Vacancies increase after earlier declines
  Motor Trades recorded 18,000 vacancies in Jun–Aug 2025, up from 14,000 in the previous quarter.
• Sector above national average
  With a 3.0% vacancy rate, Motor Trades sits above the UK average of 2.3% and ranks 5th of 22 industries.
• Relative demand stronger than many sectors
  Vacancy pressure in Motor Trades remains higher than in sectors such as education (1.6%) and retail (1.8%).
• Long-term decline continues at national level
  Across the UK, total vacancies are down by 260,000 compared with two years ago, highlighting a weaker overall hiring market.