Legal Job Market Report – June 2025 from Ten Percent Legal Recruitment, Interim Lawyers and Jonathan Fagan Business Brokers.
Here is our summary of the current state of the UK legal job market.
Locum Recruitment – Busy
Our locum department is extremely busy at present, although we did not get that many new roles in for May. June is another matter entirely and Emma Ireland, our locum consultant, is flat out at present handling a wide range of assignments. Busy areas are of course conveyancing and wills & probate, but at the moment we are seeing quite a mix of work – roles in house (junior), private crime, family, children, property litigation and court of protection have been posted in the last week or two. June to September is always the busiest time of year for locum recruitment and this year is no different.
Locum assignment updates here.
Permanent Recruitment – Quiet
Permanent roles are picking up after a quiet period, but generally still a bit muted. This goes with the national picture – see below. Candidate registration numbers are picking up again but still remain low compared with last year.
Permanent vacancies can be viewed here: https://www.ten-percent.co.uk/vacancies/
Law Firms for Sale – Busy
If you are considering retiring or selling a law firm now is still a very good time to start thinking about it. The market remains busy with high demand for particular types of law firm. New firms are coming onto the market which then drives more interest for existing firms. In the last few weeks we have started to get a significant number of calls from buyers who tell us they are backed by private equity investors looking to enter the legal sector (they tend to focus on turnover of at least £10 million so mid size firm focus rather than small high street). Full details of firms currently for sale on our website – list updated daily. For valuations, exit planning or a confidential discussion about a potential sale or acquisition generally please ring 01824 780937 or email jf@jonathanfagan.co.uk. You can also download our free detailed guides on Buying a Law Firm and Selling a Law Firm.
Ten Percent Group statistics for May 2025 (2024 figures in brackets)
- New locum roles added – 18 (21)
- New permanent roles added – 12 (29)
- New candidates added – 54 (82)
KPMG & REC Report on Jobs UK – 11th June 2025
This is a monthly report prepared by KPMG following a questionnaire sent to over 400 UK recruitment consultancies, including ourselves.
- Candidate supply expands at sharpest rate since end of 2020
- Demand for staff falls at softest rate in eight months
- Pay growth strengthens but remains below historical trend
Commentary from Jon Holt, CEO of KPMG UK
“May’s data shows very little change. Employers are still holding back on hiring, which meant last month the number of jobseekers increased at the steepest rate since 2020. The first half of this year has been full of uncertainty for businesses who are still trying to navigate cost pressures, technology advancements and global risks. Business leaders will want to see how the new trading agreements with the US and EU, Government spending plans and the Modern Industrial Strategy will drive forward our economic growth. To boost the jobs market employers need to feel confident about the outlook and understand how AI will impact their business.”
Commentary from Neil Carberry REC CEO
“More encouraging signs in temp billings, vacancies, and stabilising private sector demand offer a measure of optimism as we head into the second half of the year. There are early signs of promise, particularly in the Midlands, which saw its first increase in permanent placements in a year and a rise in billings after four months. Meanwhile, the downturn in temporary billings has eased further in London and the North of England.”
