Labour Market Tracker: Early signs of summer hiring improvement as vacancies remain above pre-Gulf crisis levels – REC

• There was a total of 1,763,701 active job postings within the UK for the month of June which represents a 9.2% increase from May and an 11.4% increase year-on-year.
• New job postings for the month of June saw an increase of 30.8% from May and a 10.8% rise year-on-year, with the total number of new job postings being 893,510.
• The top hiring hotspots, based on growth in active job postings in June, were: Isle of Anglesey (72.5%), Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (38.9%), and Cheshire East (31.7%).
• The areas with the lowest job growth were: East Dunbartonshire (-11.1%), Na h-Eileanan Siar (-9.7%), and Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire (-1.3%).
• Only six of the 181 areas tracked experienced a contraction in active job postings in June.
• No government region saw a contraction in June when looking at both new and active job postings.
• Significant increase in job postings for Agriculture, Retail and Hospitality sectors bodes well for summer seasonal hiring.

There was a surge in new job postings across the country last month, which may bode well for summer seasonal hiring this year, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) monthly Labour Market Tracker.

New job postings for the month of June were up 30.8% from May. This helped make a total of 1,763,701 active job postings within the UK in June – itself a 9.2% increase from May.

Part of the rise in new job adverts is from Agriculture, Retail and Hospitality, which are significant sectors to measure early summer seasonal hiring. But next month’s data will show the extent of this bounce in summer jobs once the school and university holidays have begun, and July is a better comparative measure because it does not have two bank holidays in it like May.

Lorraine Laryea, REC’s Chief Standards Officer, said:

“Today’s data on job adverts backs what we have seen in feedback and data from recruiters about activity over the past few weeks. There is a clear uptick in firms taking action on long-held hiring plans. We do need to be careful of seasonal effects, including the two bank Holidays in May and the onset of summer hiring in locations like Cornwall, but the general trend is clear. Firms are venturing back to hiring and vacancies are now above pre-Gulf crisis levels.

“With a new Prime Minister coming to office this week, real recovery relies on an economic plan that sustains growing confidence, not action that once again deflates it and derails companies’ plans. A proper partnership approach with business will be key to this, inserting pragmatism into the unworkable areas of the Employment Rights Act, like guaranteed hours, and avoiding unnecessary new burdens like checking workers’ right to work repeatedly when a solid check has already been done. Addressing the tax barrier to employment that has been created by changes to the National Insurance threshold is also vital, as that is the decision that helped set the job market recovery back in the first place.”

This month’s Labour Market Tracker shows that the top three occupations for active job growth comparing June to May, were Delivery Drivers and Couriers (85.8%), Actors, Entertainers and Presenters (58.1%), and Pest Control Officers (52.4%).

But, Head Teachers and Principals (-29.3%), Optometrists (-18.8%), and Business Sales Executives (-18%) saw the largest contractions in active job postings.

Isle of Anglesey (72.5%), Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (38.9%), Cheshire East (31.7%), North and North East Lincolnshire (30.4%), and Gwynedd (26.3%) saw the largest increases in active job postings in June 2026.

Conversely, East Dunbartonshire (-11.1%), Na h-Eileanan Siar (-9.7%), Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire (-1.3%), Westminster (-0.6%), and Haringey and Islington (-0.2%) saw the greatest reduction in the number of active job postings from May to June 2026.

Sectors:

This month’s Labour Market Tracker looks at Agriculture, Retail and Hospitality – all sectors that are critical to measure early summer seasonal hiring.

Hospitality:

Hospitality-related occupations saw a total of 117,777 active job postings in June, representing a 36.2% increase in postings since May and a 33.9% increase compared with the same time last year. These occupations have experienced notable growth, and this is the highest number of active job postings within the sector for a year. It should also be noted that no occupation experienced a contraction in active job postings; all occupations recorded growth, even if only slightly.

The occupations with the largest increases were Chefs (36.2%), Restaurant and Catering Establishment Managers and Proprietors (28.7%), Catering and Bar Managers (24.2%), Leisure and Sports Managers and Proprietors (13.9%), and Cooks (13.6%).

The occupations with the lowest growth in active job postings were Butchers (0.4%), Bar Staff (1.1%), Leisure and Travel Service Occupations n.e.c. (1.8%), Waiters and Waitresses (3.8%), and Sports and Leisure Assistants (4.1%).

Retail:

Retail saw a 10.9% increase in active job postings in June and a 10% increase year-on-year. There was a total of 189,223 active job postings in retail. This is the highest number of active job postings for the sector since October 2025, when pre-Christmas hiring took place.

The occupations that saw the greatest increases were Telephone Salespersons (16.1%), Sales and Retail Assistants (15.9%), Managers and Directors in Retail and Wholesale (15.6%), Elementary Storage Occupations n.e.c. (15.1%), and Roundspersons and Van Salespersons (13.8%).

The occupation group with the largest drop in active job postings was Importers and Exporters (-5.6%). It should be noted that only Importers and Exporters saw a contraction in active job postings, whereas all other occupations in retail grew, even by a minimal amount; these low growth occupations included Sales Administrators (4%), Customer Service Supervisors (4.6%) and Customer Service Occupations n.e.c. (4.8%).

Agriculture:

Agriculture-related occupations saw a 7.7% increase in job postings in June, with the total number of job postings rising to 6,005. This also represents a 4.3% year-on-year increase. This is the highest number of active job postings recorded in a year.

The occupations with the largest growth in active job postings were Farmers (24.4%), Forestry Workers (18.1%), and Chemical and Related Process Operatives (13.5%).

The occupations with the lowest growth in job postings were Farm Workers (-0.6%), Agricultural and Fishing Trades n.e.c. (6.1%), and Biological Scientists (6.1%).

Ends

Notes to editors:

1.               The Labour Market Tracker is produced by the REC using Lightcast Job Postings Analytics data which were harvested from tens of thousands of job boards. Data was harvested in June 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 & 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