The number of job adverts has settled at about 1.7 million amid steady demand for workers, according to recruiters.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said the figure had remained roughly the same for months.

Chief executive Neil Carberry said: “The number of active job adverts remains above 1.7 million which shows steady demand for workers despite slow progress in the wider economy.

“Employers are intent on hiring and investing in their own business but are acting more cautiously because of economic and political uncertainty. We expect this to change as inflation stays low and interest rates drop over the summer.”

Occupations with notable increases in adverts last month included stonemasons, building and civil engineering technicians and forestry workers.

There were falls in adverts for nannies and au pairs, probation officers and data entry administrators, the report added.