The number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs was up 20% in December despite the festive holiday activity lull, according to the latest figures from C&M Travel Recruitment.
In what is traditionally the quietest month of the year, this is the first monthly December increase since at least 2011.
Last month’s total was also up 30% from the same month in 2023.
It was also a positive month for new candidates which rose to their highest December total for eight years.
December 2024’s total was the highest recorded for the month since December 2017, with an increase of 2% from last December.
However, the number of candidates were down by 34% from November 2024.
New travel vacancies dipped by 14% in December from the same month last year, but were up by 25% from December 2022.
Barbara Kolosinska, co-owner and Managing Director at C&M Travel Recruitment, said: “It’s extremely rare to see a monthly increase in placements in December – in fact, we haven’t seen one in at least 14 years.”
“We also saw an unusually strong number of candidates beginning their job hunt in the final month of last year, which is a great sign.”
