The picture today is cooler than it was a year ago, and depot managers need that context before they post a single vacancy. The wider labour market is best described as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment but only slight increases in redundancies, and vacancies have dropped below pre-pandemic levels Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK.
The headline numbers back this up. Total estimated vacancies were down by 76,000 (9.5%) in December 2025 to February 2026 from a year earlier, decreasing in 15 of the 18 sectors ONS – Vacancies and jobs in the UK (March 2026). The slide has continued since: early estimates for May to July 2026 suggest a decrease of 6,000 (0.8%) vacancies to 707,000 across the UK compared with February to April 2026 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK, August 2026.
Competition for roles is tighter too. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in March to May 2026, a ratio that has held at 2.5 since July to September 2025 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK. For a depot manager, that means a larger pool of applicants for each opening, but it also puts a premium on sorting the right people from the rest quickly.
Depots run on a mix of permanent and temporary labour, so both trends matter. Permanent placements have finally stabilised, ending a decline in place since Liz Truss's premiership 45 months ago, while temporary billings increased for a fourth consecutive month REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global). That stabilisation gives managers a steadier base for core roles like warehouse operatives, HGV drivers, shift supervisors and transport planners.
Technology is reshaping the work those teams do. Sectors like retail and logistics were already actively integrating AI to improve customer insights and streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains AI Adoption Research - GOV.UK. The practical read for depot managers is that new hires increasingly work alongside automated systems, so adaptability and digital confidence now sit beside manual handling and timekeeping on the ideal candidate profile.
Start with the shift pattern, not the job title. Spell out the hours, the depot location and the physical demands in plain terms, because that honesty filters out the people who will drop off in week two. With 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy, you will not be short of applicants, so the real task is screening for reliability and the right fit fast ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK.
Speed is the quiet advantage. In a 'low hire' market, applicants still value an employer who responds within hours rather than weeks, and a slow process loses good people to the next depot down the road Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK.
This is where we fit. Reed.ai searches 15 million candidates and ranks a shortlist in under 30 seconds, so a depot manager can move from vacancy to a booked interview the same day. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. That fee reflects the value of finding the right person and handling the whole process for you. Ready to fill your next depot role? Start today.
