Legal Job Market Report – March 2025 – from Ten Percent Legal Recruitment, Interim Lawyers Locum Legal Recruitment and Jonathan Fagan Business Brokers Limited, all part of the Ten Percent Group of websites.
Here is our summary of the current state of the UK legal job market.
Locum Recruitment – Quiet
Locum work has got significantly busier since the start of the year. Conveyancing rates have now gone back up again due to demand (see our rate card below) – there is still the ongoing problem of firms wanting locums in offices, and locums not wanting to attend offices if possible. A quick look at the most recently posted roles shows fields of law include wills & probate, corporate and commercial contracts, commercial litigation, conveyancing and commercial property. Locum assignment updates here.
Permanent Recruitment – Busy
Permanent roles have dropped off substantially. We suspect in part this is due to world news (from conversations with candidates this is mostly centred around the behaviour of the USA !) but also because a lot of smaller firms, our traditional clients, have been incredibly busy in the run up to the Stamp Duty changes. A good proportion of permanent vacancies still remain unfilled after 3 months – mainly because of the lack of candidates generally and the wide discrepancy between employer specified work conditions and candidate expectations. There has been a substantial drop in the number of new candidates registering (see below). Permanent vacancies can be viewed here: https://www.ten-percent.co.uk/vacancies/
Law Firms for Sale – Very Busy
Very busy – in fact it is currently almost off the scale for the number of enquiries we are presently getting for law firms listed with us. It is a very good time to get listed as the market is going to remain busy for some time. There remains a good flow of buyer enquiries coming into us daily for our firms for sale. 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 February 2025 (2024 figures in brackets)
- New locum roles added – 26 (16)
- New permanent roles added – 20 (30)
- New candidates added – 51 (80)
KPMG & REC Report on Jobs UK – 9th March 2025
This is a monthly report prepared by KPMG following a questionnaire sent to over 400 UK recruitment consultancies, including ourselves.
- Starting salaries increase only modestly in February
- Staff availability picks up
- Vacancies fall further
- Permanent placements and temp billings decline at softer rates
Commentary from Jon Holt, CEO of KPMG UK
“While it is still a wait and see approach to hiring, with February data showing companies continue to hold back on recruitment, the softer decline could be an indication that expectations of further interest rate cuts and better than expected recent economic data are starting to release some of the pressures on business. But several headwinds to growth remain, and we should expect a Spring Statement that is fiscally constrained due to growing spending pressures and global uncertainty. Despite this uncertainty, businesses which are well capitalised will be looking for signals to support future planning and growth, and with that will come confidence to invest and create jobs.”
Commentary from Neil Carberry REC CEO
“After a long winter, there are some hints of a turn in the labour market as we head into Spring. This is led by the private sector – despite recent tax rises – and that shouldn’t be missed. Enabling companies to grow is at the heart of our prosperity. At the moment, though, things are still slow as companies hold their breath in the face of significant costs rises from April with changes to National Insurance and the National Living Wage. Despite a long slowdown, some areas still face skill shortages. This comes from mismatches, training gaps and the impact of an ageing population. Pay growth is easing and broadly unchanged across much of the country which should please the Bank of England rate setters.
