Chris Addison, Director

​Maintenance Recruitment in Q1 2025: Market Trends and Insights

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Having seen an extremely buoyant Q4 for the maintenance market, with many customers wanting to use up recruitment budgets before the end of the calendar year, we entered Q1 facing a certain level of economic uncertainty. Most quarters were cautious about what level of economic growth or retraction we might see, due to the pending increases in the rates of minimum and real living wages, National Insurance, as well as the ongoing challenges of inflation and the overall costs of running a business.

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January is normally a busy month from a recruitment perspective, with customers releasing an abundance of new roles and a fresh influx of candidates. Sadly, neither happened, with customer demand lower than expected and candidate flow continuing at a suppressed rate. Advert response in January was 21% down on the same month last year. However, despite this slow start, demand picked back up to normal levels through February and sustained through March. Many quarters were expecting a “redundancy market” in Q1, which would improve candidate availability. However, despite candidates who were out of work or being made redundant accounting for 29% of our placements, availability remained extremely low, as many candidates were passive and unwilling to move in the current market. Indeed, just 4% of candidates we placed moved for progression.

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As demand for good Engineers continues to outstrip supply, what are the latest trends we are seeing in the market? Of the Engineers placed:

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• 83% changed shift, indicating that many are still seeking a better work-life balance if they are going to change roles. 4 on 4 off (29%), days (22%), and double days (17%) proved most popular

• 73% received a pay rise – many companies are still having to offer cash incentives to remain competitive

• The average pay rise was £7,800, which is nearly £1,000 higher than in H2 2024

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Whilst many companies continue to battle for talent with attractive packages, we continue our mission to “Bridge The Skills Gap” in UK manufacturing. There is already a skills shortage in the UK, which only continues to widen as many Engineers approach retirement age. We are encouraging our clients to consider how they address this issue, and we are pleased to report that many are taking single-skilled Engineers and offering training to make them multi-skilled. Also, and probably most pleasing, 10% of Engineers placed were forces leavers from the RAF and Navy. We continue to work with key customers on this strategy and hope to see this positive trend continue.

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Hiring the right Engineers is tougher than ever. With candidate availability at a low, the pressure to secure skilled talent is increasing across the industry.

ATA can give you the edge. With exclusive access to a curated database of over 60,000 pre-interviewed Engineers, we connect you with top-tier talent ready to make an impact.

As recruitment specialists in manufacturing and engineering, we partner with leading employers to offer market insight, benchmark packages, and shape talent strategies that work.

By connecting the right people with the right opportunities, ATA is proud to be helping Bridge The Skills Gap across UK industry.

Get in touch with Chris Addison at christian.addison@ata-recruitment.co.ukor fill out the form below to start the conversation.

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