Looking For A New Job - Better Apply Fast - UK employers are shortening closing dates on job ads in 2025

4th July 2025

Some UK employers are shortening closing dates on job ads in 2025—but it's not universal, and it depends on the sector and urgency of the role. We have noticed this here in Caithness in our jobs and vacancies section.

Caithness Jobs Section

Why Closing Dates Are Being Shortened
Faster Hiring Cycles: With fewer vacancies but more applicants, employers want to secure top talent before competitors do.

High Application Volumes: Roles in healthcare, logistics, and customer service are attracting large numbers of applicants quickly, prompting early closures.

Cost Pressures: Rising employment costs (e.g. National Insurance hikes) mean employers are streamlining recruitment to avoid prolonged advertising.

AI Screening Tools: Faster CV filtering allows employers to shortlist candidates earlier, reducing the need for long ad durations.

Risks of Shortened Closing Dates
Reduced Diversity: Short windows may exclude candidates who need more time to apply—especially those with accessibility needs or caring responsibilities.

Missed Talent: Employers might overlook late but highly qualified applicants.

Candidate Frustration: Jobseekers report ads closing without warning, leading to confusion and missed opportunities.

What Jobseekers Can Do
Apply early—even if the ad lists a closing date, treat it as flexible.

Set alerts for new postings in your field.

Keep CVs and cover letters ready to tailor quickly.

Follow up if an ad disappears early—some employers will still consider strong candidates.

Job vacancies in the UK are definitely declining in 2025
The total number of vacancies fell to 736,000 between March and May 2025—down 150,000 (16.9%) from the same period in 2024.

This marks the 35th consecutive quarterly decline, and vacancies are now 7.4% below pre-pandemic levels.

Unemployment is rising, with 2.2 unemployed people per vacancy, up from 1.9 the previous quarter.

Sector Breakdown
Permanent staff vacancies fell sharply across all categories, especially:

Executive/Professional

Secretarial/Clerical

Retail and Hospitality

Temporary vacancies also declined in every monitored sector, with Retail hit hardest.

What's Driving the Decline?
Rising employment costs: National Insurance hikes and minimum wage increases are making employers cautious.

Economic uncertainty: Businesses are holding back on hiring due to global instability and domestic fiscal pressures.

Restructuring and redundancies: Many firms are downsizing or pausing recruitment altogether.