UK commercial hiring rebounds across the board, up 22% YoY in Q3

UK commercial hiring turned a corner in Q3, with total openings up 22% YoY, a sharp reversal from the declines flagged in the Q1 update. Manufacturing and industrial facilities led the rebound, up 44.7% YoY, helped by rising export demand, even as manufacturers themselves report more caution on hiring. Logistics (+28.5%) and construction (+13%) gains trace to the same source: a wave of data centre and logistics hub construction, backed by energy and infrastructure investment. Trade/retail rounded out the group at +7%. The gains aren’t just annual, either, with quarter over quarter openings across all four categories jumping between 23% and 34%, and the sector total up nearly 28% from Q2 alone. After a rough start to the year, UK commercial hiring looks to be entering a genuine recovery.