The picture is steadier than it has been in years. Permanent placements have finally stabilised, ending a decline that had run since Liz Truss's premiership 45 months ago, while temporary billings increased for a fourth consecutive month, according to the REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global) REC and KPMG Report on Jobs. For logistics employers, that is an opening: the market is settling, so the moment to act is now.
The wider labour market is best described as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment but only slight increases in redundancies, and vacancies that have dropped below pre-pandemic levels, as set out in the Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK Low Pay Commission Report 2025. That matters for logistics. Fewer people are being let go, so good warehouse, driving and supply-chain workers are not flooding the open market. The ones who are looking tend to be deliberate about their next move, and ready to start.
Temporary and flexible work is carrying real momentum. Temporary billings rose for a fourth month running in the REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global) REC and KPMG Report on Jobs, which fits a sector built on peaks: seasonal pressure, next-day promises and shifting volumes. If you run a warehouse, a transport operation or a distribution centre, flexible capacity is often where demand shows up first.
At the same time, permanent hiring has stopped falling, per the REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global) REC and KPMG Report on Jobs. For roles you want to keep, warehouse supervisors, transport planners, HGV drivers and supply-chain coordinators, that stability is your cue to secure the people you need before confidence picks up further and the pool tightens.
Start with speed and clarity. In a 'low hire, low fire' market, described in the Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK Low Pay Commission Report 2025, the strongest people are not waiting around, so a slow process loses them. Write a plain role brief: the shift pattern, the site, the equipment or licences needed, and what day one looks like. The clearer you are, the faster you match the right person.
Above all, treat each person as a person first. Someone looking for work in logistics often weighs pay, shift stability and how far they travel. Answer those questions up front and you move from a long list to a signed offer in days, not weeks.
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