This report explores labour market trends across the Midlands in 2025, with the East set for 11.4% vacancy growth while the West holds its position as the region’s main hiring hub. It highlights how retail, consumer goods and engineering are driving expansion, as employers prioritise roles tied to commercial recovery, operational delivery and long-term growth.
Between 2023 and 2024, professional vacancies in the Midlands fell 9.0%, outpacing the national decline of 1.5%, with the West Midlands seeing the sharpest drop. Economic pressures, including retail closures and a slowdown in investment, have driven this regional contraction.
The Midlands’ job market in 2024 mirrors the broader economic challenges facing the UK. Sluggish GDP growth and persistent inflation are influencing employment trends. While investment in infrastructure projects like HS2 supports Real Estate & Construction, Brexit and global market instability continue to impact export-focused sectors.
Job vacancies in 2023 fall by 23.7% compared to 2022, according to the latest UK Labour Market Trends report by leading professional body APSCo and labour market data analysts Vacancysoft.
The outlook for the Midlands region, encompassing both west and east, is down on last year, with there being a significant decrease of -22.4%. Nonetheless, the West Midlands is poised to increase its share of the national job market from 6.7% in 2022 to 9.6% in 2023. This is according to the latest Regional Trends report with APSCo and Vacancysoft.
