The number of automotive jobs advertised across the UK declined by 6.9% during September, according to CV Library.

The cross-sector job board believes that ongoing economic and political uncertainty may be taking its toll on the automotive industry.

Despite the findings, which compare job market data from September 2019 with the same period in 2018, applications for automotive jobs increased by 3% year-on-year and a further 1.9% month-on-month, it said.

Lee Biggins, the founder and chief executive of CV-Library, said: “Applications are up across the board and this isn’t unusual for this time of year; September usually sparks an urge in people to search for a new job and it’s clear that automotive professionals are feeling confident amidst ongoing economic and political uncertainty.

“That being said, the drop in automotive vacancies suggests a wider issue that we cannot ignore and businesses are clearly cautious about their hiring efforts right now.”

While cost cutting and consolidation in the franchised car retail sector could be effecting the jobs market, the declining availability of jobs could be also be attributed to manufacturers’ uncertainty about the months ahead.

Both Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and BMW have said that they may consider factory closures in the event of a no deal Brexit, while Nissan will review its production of the Qashqai at its Sunderland factory and an unsettled departure from the EU could also impact the PSA Group’s decision to build the Vauxhall Astra at Ellesmere Port.

Many car retailers continue to state that they are battling to recruit enough technicians to drive their aftersales business amid a skills shortage in the sector.

And CV Library’s sector analysis found that there remains a demand for the automotive sector’s more highly skilled employees.

It said that the average advertised pay for automotive jobs increased by 1.9% last month, bringing up the average salary to £33,661.

Biggins said: “While the job market is strong and it’s a popular time to search for a job, employers shouldn’t relax and rest on their laurels when it comes to attracting automotive talent.

“The stagnation in pay suggests a wider issue that we cannot ignore and businesses are clearly cautious about their financial standing right now.”