Christmas jobs boost as hiring accelerates ahead of festive season

Seasonal work in the lead-up to Christmas has given the jobs market a recent lift, new research reveals.

Job site Adzuna reports that approximately 23,000 seasonal roles are up for grabs across retail, catering, hospitality, and construction sectors.

The report indicates that the total number of job openings dipped slightly in October, but at a much slower pace than earlier in the year.

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Advertised salaries have seen an upward trend for five consecutive months, now averaging over £39,000, with a ratio of two jobseekers per vacancy, Adzuna notes.

For the first time in more than a year, sales assistant positions have become the most sought-after on Adzuna's platform, surpassing warehouse roles, and there remains a high demand for social care workers.

Adzuna's Andrew Hunter commented on the "challenging" start to the year for job vacancies, adding: "The second half of the year has shown signs of recovery and resilience. This October, we saw the first positive six-month change in vacancy numbers.

"Driven by preparations for the busy Christmas shopping season, sectors like trade and construction and retail are ramping up hiring."