Labour Market Tracker: Active job postings rise 10% year-on-year in August – REC

• The total number of active job postings in August was 1,699,589. This represents a 1.8% increase from July 2026 and a 10.4% increase compared with August 2025.
• There were 712,781 new job postings in August, representing a -1.9% drop from July, but a 3.6% increase year-on-year.
• The three Counties/Unitary Authorities with the largest increases in active job postings were Dumfries and Galloway (33.8%), Milton Keynes (31.7%), and Westminster (28.0%).
• Seven of the top 10 counties with the highest growth in active job postings between July and August were in Scotland.
• The three counties with the largest decreases in active job postings were West Sussex (North East) (-10.2%), Shetland Islands (-6.6%), and East Surrey (-6.6%).
• All Government Office Regions across the UK experienced growth in active job postings during August.

The UK job market is showing signs of improvement compared to last year, as we move towards the final quarter of 2026, although hiring remains uneven across sectors, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Labour Market Tracker.

The total number of active job postings in August 2026 was close to 1.7 million. This is both an increase from July 2026 and an increase year-on-year. There were 712,781 new job postings in August 2026, representing a -1.9% drop from July, but a 3.6% increase year-on-year.

But it is disappointing to see new job postings fall for a second consecutive month. While the decline between July and August 2026 was marginal, it nevertheless suggests a hiring market that remains fragile and has long needed a shot of confidence to encourage employers to recruit and invest.

Maxine Bligh, REC’s Interim Chief Executive, said:

“The labour market is showing resilience against domestic and global strains. But the UK deserves a flourishing jobs market that delivers growth for businesses and more opportunities for workers. The latest job figures are a clear sign for the Chancellor that the labour market is resilient but needs stimulating to really kick on. A restoration of the Employer National Insurance threshold would be a big help. And a quick win would be a pared-back and more practical approach to the guaranteed hours proposals, which in their current form is a big threat to temporary work. Businesses are looking for a clear direction of travel from the Chancellor which shows they are being listened to when they warn against the costly burden of over regulation.

“This is not the time for government to take labour market growth for granted. Recruiters expect the hiring market to resemble a slalom course rather than a straightforward downhill run for the rest of 2026, demanding agility and careful navigation from employers. Hiring across many sectors is stable despite the unpredictability of energy and other business costs. But the unpredictable business environment means continued volatility in a handful of important sectors to the UK economy, such as finance and retail.

“Demand for manual and mid-skilled roles remains strong, creating opportunities for people looking to enter or move within the workforce. With the UK youth unemployment rate at more than 16%, today’s data shows there are opportunities available right now in retail, logistics, construction and home improvement, including roles such as large goods vehicle drivers, carpenters, joiners and plasterers.”

September's Labour Market Tracker shows that the occupations with the highest growth in active job postings between July and August 2026 were Delivery Drivers and Couriers (91.8%), Crane Drivers (42.9%), and Plasterers (40.7%).

In contrast, Clergy (-21.1%), Secondary Education Teaching Professionals (-22.3%), and Primary Education Teaching Professionals (-23.1%) experienced the largest declines in active job postings between July 2026 and August 2026.

Dumfries and Galloway (33.8%), Milton Keynes (31.7%), Westminster (28.0%), Moray (19.8%), and South Ayrshire (19.5%) recorded the largest increases in active job postings in August 2026.

Conversely, Gwynedd (-5.6%), North and North East Lincolnshire (-6.4%), West Sussex ( Northeast ) (-10.2%), Shetland Islands (-6.6%), and East Surrey (-6.6%) recorded the largest contraction in active job postings between July and August 2026.

Sectors:

This month’s Labour Market Tracker takes an in-depth look at the Healthcare, Finance and IT sectors.

Healthcare

Healthcare saw a total of 207,930 active job postings in August. This represents a 1.0% increase from July 2026, and a 6.9% increase compared with August 2025. Other than July 2026, which saw 205,903 active job postings, this is the highest number of active postings for healthcare-related occupations recorded in 2026.

The occupations that saw the largest growth between July and August were Houseparents and Residential Wardens (34.0%), Dental Nurses (15.4%), and Counsellors (13.3%).

The occupations that saw the largest declines between July and August 2026 were Health Associate Professionals n.e.c. (-5.3%), Registered Specialist Nurses (-9.8%), and Midwifery Nurses (-14.8%).

Finance

There was a total of 108,979 active job postings in Finance-related occupations during August 2026. This was 2.4% lower than July, but 10.6% higher than August 2025. Over the past year, finance job postings have experienced some volatility, although August 2026 remained higher than the year’s average, with only June 2026 and July 2026 recording higher levels of active job posts.

The occupations that saw the highest growth between July and August were Management Consultants and Business Analysts (3.7%), Collector Salespersons and Credit Agents (3.6%), and Finance Officers (2.1%).

The occupations that saw the largest contractions were Insurance Underwriters (-9.0%), Taxation Experts (-9.1%), and Financial Administrative Occupations n.e.c. (-11.7%).

IT

There was a total of 85,093 active job postings for IT occupations in August 2026. This was 1.3% lower than July, but 22.3% higher than August 2025. This was the second-highest month for IT active job postings, with only July recording a higher total.

The occupations that saw the largest growth in active job postings between July and August 2026 were Computer Systems and Equipment Installers and Servicers (5.9%), IT Project Managers (3.0%), and IT User Support Technicians (1.8%).

The occupations that saw the largest declines between July and August 2026 were Database Administrators and Web Content Technicians (-8.5%), Graphic and Multimedia Designers (-9.9%), and Information Technology Professionals n.e.c. (-15.8%).

Ends

Notes to editors:

1.     The Labour Market Tracker is produced by the REC using Lightcast Job Postings Analytics data which collects job postings worldwide from over 220,000 current and historical sources daily. The posting data in Lightcast products is not smoothed. Its deduplication process uses a fixed algorithm that ensures we deduplicate 80% of all collected postings. Additionally, Lightcast curate the data monthly to remove outliers, usually around 1% of the dataset, using a proprietary tool designed to eliminate noise and bad data.

Every four weeks, Lightcast reclassifies all historic and current raw postings data using our most up to date classifiers. The data is then deduplicated, curated, and republished, ensuring that all data is continuously improved. All removed postings are documented in our changelog for visibility. While Lightcast understands that retroactive changes can affect your analysis, this process is designed to maintain its commitment to providing the highest quality data for strong time-series analysis. For further details, you can review our full changelogs here:

·        https://docs.lightcast.dev/taxonomies

·        -https://docs.lightcast.dev/updates/postings-volume-changelog

The data used within this report was harvested in September 2026. For more details, see the attached annexes which, in league table format, detail the top and bottom ten county/unitary authorities for growth in job postings and growth by occupation type.

2.              ‘Active’ job postings are those which were live online during the specified time period. ‘New’ job postings are those which were added to the active stock during the specified time period.

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About the REC

The REC is the voice of the recruitment industry, speaking up for great recruiters. We drive standards and empower recruitment businesses to build better futures for great candidates and themselves. We are champions of an industry which is fundamental to the strength of the UK economy.

Find out more about the Recruitment and Employment Confederation at www.rec.uk.com.

About Lightcast

Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass) provides trusted global labour market data, analytics, and expert guidance that empowers communities, corporations, and learning providers to make informed decisions and navigate the increasingly complex world of work. With a database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles, our team provides best-in-class customer service with robust data, clear analysis, and expert guidance on skills, jobs, and opportunities.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Lightcast is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. The company is backed by global private equity leader KKR. For more, visit www.lightcast.io/uk.

ANNEXES

Top ten and bottom ten county/unitary authorities for growth in job postings:

Top ten and bottom ten occupations by growth in job postings:

Key indicator occupations