If you are on the hunt for a new job, there’s never been a better time to search for new opportunities than in September.

The ‘September surge’, as it’s known, is a phrase that has been used in American corporate vocabulary for years, but it’s crossed the Atlantic largely thanks to social media, where it’s giving us all an opportunity to talk about the subject of job hunting.

In the US, September surge describes the increase in job hunting and job vacancies posted between Labor Day (the first Monday in September) and Halloween (31 October). Although originating in the US, the UK job market follows a similar pattern.

Indeed, data from Gumtree confirms July and August to be traditionally much slower in terms of the numbers of people replying to job listings. However, fast forward to September, and there’s a sharp uptick in the number of jobs advertised and the interest from prospective employees. Meanwhile, the number of replies to job listings increased from 13% between July and September and 16% between July and October.

So, why does it happen?

What is the ‘September surge’ and can it help you find a new job?