The Government’s reshuffle has changed the skills landscape with the splitting of ‘skills’ shifting  into the DWP and ‘education’ remaining in education.

Jacqui Smith remains Minister for skills but is now working across two departments and thus to two bosses: Bridget Phillipson, education secretary and Pat McFaddon, the new work and pensions secretary.

September’s here…the market’s waking up, and opportunities are moving fast.

I headed up north to Newcastle upon Tyne this week and filmed this outside @Womble Bond Dickinson for the @Nepic Pharma Connect event. Great to catch up with so many business leaders and hear what’s really happening in the market right now.

Off the back of that, here are three quick Populus tips for candidates and employers as we head into a busy period:

1. Be ready.

2. Get clear.

3. Brief brilliantly.

We’ve spent over 15 years helping clean and emerging tech businesses scale with the right people and being at Goodwood, seeing our clients drive real innovation (literally), reminds us of why we do this.
The future of mobility isn’t coming it’s already climbing the hill.

3 things to know about the July job market

Keeping up with the monthly reports this time at Teesworks, one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe.

In this quick video, our MD Sim Hall is sharing what we’ve seen and heard across the job market in July 2025:

🔹 Why confidence is still a bit shaky

🔹 How that’s affecting hiring decisions on the ground

🔹 What candidates are holding out for before making a move

Plus, Sim rounds it off with 3 practical Populus Select Ltd takeaways whether you’re hiring or job hunting.

It’s not a quiet market

It’s a careful one.

Let’s see what next month brings hopefully something a bit more positive!

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her Mansion House speech on Tuesday (15^th July). The speech usually sets out government plans for the financial services industry, an industry that not only is an important one for the country in revenue and export terms, but also which underpins the wider economy.

We are delighted to bring you the Populus June 2025 recruitment UK market bulletin. With an overview of the market, what it means on the ground, and 3 recommendations whether you are an employer or a candidate.

As an overview, the state of the UK labour market in the first 6 months of 2025 is at best described as functioning. There are many indications that the market is cooling demonstrated by falling vacancies, with a 63,000 fall and a small decrease of 55,000 in the number of payrolled employees, plus a slight rise in unemployment. This cooling trend is also reflected in reduced hiring activity by employers.

At a time when the global political and economic environment is volatile the North East Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, comprising business leaders in the NE, met a week before the Bank of England’s MPC to discuss their take on the current economic situation and to vote on what they think the BoE should do with interest rates

It’s become a commonplace to hear that the consumer will lose out by paying higher prices for goods under new protectionism. It’s harder to ascertain what groups in the labour market might have problems now that tariffs have become part of the US administration’s international relations toolkit.

The budget marks a shift towards investment in skills, health, and infrastructure, addressing low productivity, labour shortages, and regional disparities.

Recent data shows that UK businesses are actively hiring – for the right candidates - with nearly two in five business leaders hoping to increase headcount in 2025. These companies are playing the long game by focusing on strategic hires to position themselves to make the most of the economic bounce back.

Movember is here, and Populus proudly participates by “Moving for Movember’” to support men’s health initiatives.

We’re proud to support Trees for Life in rewilding the Scottish Highlands, fostering biodiversity, and restoring native species. As a “Juniper Partner”, our recruitment placements contribute directly to this vital project. Learn more about how we’re helping to reconnect people with nature.

The UK must adopt a robust industrial strategy, learning from global leaders, to rejuvenate manufacturing, drive innovation, and ensure economic resilience.

Diversity drives innovation, agility, and financial performance by fostering diverse perspectives, improving inclusivity, and adapting to evolving business environments., agility, and financial performance by fostering diverse perspectives, improving inclusivity, and adapting to evolving business environments.

Specialist recruitment firm Populus Select has promoted James Smith to Operations Director as it continues to grow its head count, thanks to new contracts with cutting-edge science-based businesses across the world.