UK Job Postings Drop 16.8% in December Amid Christmas Slowdown — Job Industry News #32

Welcome back to the Job Industry News by Jobsora! Our Newsletter is a brief summary of all the main news in the job market, written by Jobsora’s employees and published once a week on Mondays.

This week’s edition highlights the latest labour economics, investments in the Job Solutions, massive layoffs, rebranding, and executional changes. Enjoy the reading!

UK Job Postings Drop 16.8% in December Amid Christmas Slowdown. The UK saw 550,982 new job postings in December, a 16.8% decline from November, reflecting the typical Christmas hiring slowdown, according to the latest Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and Lightcast Labour Market Tracker. Total active postings for December reached 1,415,574, signaling a gradual return to pre-pandemic levels, as December 2019 recorded 1.41 million. REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry noted, “December is always a recruitment low point, so we will have to wait for January and February figures to judge where we are as firms return to the market in 2025.” Despite a prolonged slowdown, Carberry emphasized that opportunities remain for job seekers, with skilled recruiters ready to help them take their next career steps.

TalentMapper Raises $2.4M for Skills and Career Planning Service. London-based recruitment planning platform TalentMapper has secured ￡2 million ($2.4 million) in funding from Mercia Ventures and Haatch. The company helps organizations identify and utilize employees’ skills, enabling them to tap into internal talent and maximize workforce potential. This approach reduces recruitment and training costs while promoting equal and unbiased access to career opportunities. TalentMapper also provides services such as succession planning, mentoring, and career mapping. Its AI-powered technology leverages data from approximately 675 million career histories to deliver insights.

BP to Cut 4,700 Jobs and 3,000 Contractor Roles to Save ￡1.6bn. BP is set to reduce its global workforce by 4,700 jobs, equivalent to 5% of its staff, and eliminate 3,000 contractor roles as part of a cost-cutting effort aimed at saving ￡1.6bn ($2bn) by the end of 2026. The move comes as Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss faces pressure from shareholders to boost returns following dissatisfaction with the strategy implemented by his predecessor, Bernard Looney. This decision reflects BP’s response to shareholder concerns and its commitment to improving financial performance.

Seek Announces Leadership Changes in Singapore and Malaysia. Melbourne-based Seek, the parent company of JobStreet and JobsDB, has announced key leadership changes in Singapore and Malaysia. Vic Sithasanan, formerly the managing director of JobStreet Malaysia, will now lead JobStreet Singapore, highlighting Singapore’s position as a leading global business and talent hub. Under Sithasanan’s leadership, JobStreet Malaysia nearly doubled its revenue, according to the company. Meanwhile, Nicholas Lam, previously Seek’s regional head of growth and monetization for Asia, has been appointed as Sithasanan’s successor in Malaysia. Lam expressed enthusiasm for his new role, emphasizing a commitment to empowering individuals, connecting job seekers with transformative opportunities, and building a stronger workforce for the future.

UK Unveils ‘AI Action Plan’ to Boost Economy and Create Jobs. The UK has launched its ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’ to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, aiming to drive economic growth and job creation. The plan includes the establishment of dedicated ‘AI growth zones’ designed to expedite planning permissions and provide the energy infrastructure required to support AI development. “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “From teachers personalizing lessons to supporting small businesses with record-keeping and speeding up planning applications, AI has the potential to transform the lives of working people. But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side. In a world of fierce competition, we must move fast and take action to win the global race.”

CVO Recruitment and Simplika Rebrand as Grafton. Lithuania-based Baltic recruitment group CVO Recruitment and Simplika has rebranded as Grafton, with its companies now operating under the names Grafton Lithuania, Grafton Latvia, and Grafton Estonia, according to the Baltic News Service. Part of the Gi Group, the rebranding marks the culmination of a three-year transition following Gi Group Holding’s acquisition of CVO Recruitment and Simplika. The move aims to create new international opportunities for clients and candidates. With over 20 years of experience in the Baltic recruitment market, the group has demonstrated impressive growth despite recent economic challenges. Business Manager Allan Eigi noted that turnover rose from €5.6 million in 2022 to €7.4 million in 2024, with projections to reach approximately €9 million by 2025.

Poslovi.Infostud Posts Steady Growth in Job Ads in 2024. Serbia-based recruitment marketplace Poslovi.Infostud.com reported steady growth in job advertisements throughout 2024, driven by a consistent demand for workers, according to the company.

Thank You for reading! Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated with the main news of the labour market! And don't miss out on our CEO’s latest article: The UK job market in 2025: Decline in job postings while the high interest