Labour Market Tracker: Summer jobs comeback, with year-on-year rise in seasonal hiring – REC

• Double-digit rise in hospitality and tourism job adverts in summer 2026 compared to equivalent summer seasonal period last year.
• In July 2026, there were a total of 1,669,203 active job postings within the UK,
• representing a -2.6% drop from June 2026. But this is a 7.7% increase from July last year.
• There were 726,867 new jobs posted in July 2026, representing a -14.2% decrease from June, but representing a 0.9% increase compared with July 2025.
• The top hiring hotspots in July 2026 when compared to June 2026, were Milton Keynes (33%), Westminster (11.9%) and Lewisham and Southwark (8.4%).
• The Midlands experienced notable growth in July 2026, with four of the top 10 hiring hotspots located in the region.
• The areas with the lowest growth this month were East Dunbartonshire (-16.6%), North Ayrshire (-17.8%), and East Ayrshire (-18.2%).

The number of job postings in the UK was up year-on-year in July 2026, with a timely boost for jobseekers this summer, according to the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) monthly Labour Market Tracker.

The number of active job postings and new job postings were both up on the numbers in July last year, even though there was a slight dip in both measures of job postings compared to June 2026.

This time last year, there was concern about the death of the great British summer job, with REC’s jobs data showing thousands of fewer unique postings for jobs than previous summers. But this year has seen an upturn in seasonal demand in comparison.

Maxine Bligh, REC’s Chief Membership & Innovation Officer, said:

“This is the summer when the seasonal summer jobs market started to come back. Exceptionally warm weather and a busy calendar of sporting, music and cultural events, such as the men’s football World Cup, has helped boost demand for workers. It is not totally straightforward for young people to earn wages just yet, with many entry-level jobs still not bouncing back as much as we would like, but there are undoubtedly more opportunities across hospitality, tourism and construction than last year. The prospect of an Indian summer in much of the UK may mean many of these opportunities last longer than usual.

“Now the challenge is to carry this hiring momentum into the rest of the year and across more sectors. There is still a lot to be determined about the direction of travel the new PM will take on igniting growth. As attention turns to tax and spend ahead of the October Budget, businesses are already factoring in anticipated costs for providing Guaranteed Hours. The government’s own research suggests employers could be buried under £2.9 billion of extra costs per year, money that could pay for 137,000 full-time workers between 18 and 20 years old on national minimum wage. It is time to rethink these proposals and for the government to get out of the way of businesses who are best placed to deliver the jobs and growth that the economy is crying out for.”

August’s Labour Market Tracker shows that the top three occupations for active job growth between June 2026 and July 2026 were Authors, Writers and Translators (32.4%), Actors, Entertainers and Presenters (27.7%) and Environment Professionals (24.5%).

In contrast, Secondary Education Teaching Professionals (-22.2%), Undertakers, Mortuary and Crematorium Assistants (-28.4%), and Head Teachers and Principals (-30.1%) experienced the largest contractions in active job postings between June 2026 and July 2026.

Milton Keynes (33%), Westminster (11.9%), Lewisham and Southwark (8.4%), Solihull (7%), and the Orkney Islands (6.7%) saw the largest increases in active job postings in July 2026.

Conversely, Moray (-15.6%), Newry, Mourne and Down (-15.8%), East Dunbartonshire (-16.6%), North Ayrshire (-17.8%), and East Ayrshire (-18.2%) saw the greatest reductions in the number of active job postings between June 2026 and July 2026.

Sectors:

August’s Labour Market Tracker includes an annual review of summer hiring. This tracker compares the average number of active job postings in the Hospitality, Tourism and Construction sectors across May, June and July 2026 with the average number of active job postings in those three sectors in the same three-month period in 2025. It identifies whether there has been year-on-year growth in key sectors that are closely linked to the summer period.

Hospitality

Year-on-year

Hospitality-related occupations saw a total of 107,239 active job postings in July 2026, representing a -5.7% contraction from June 2026 – but a large 16.3% increase from July 2025. Of the months in the summer hiring period (May, June, and July), June 2026 had the highest total number of active job postings

When comparing the average number of job postings by month with 2025 figures, there has been notable growth:

•        May 2026 was 45.8% higher than May 2025
•       June 2026 was 29.9% higher than June 2025
•       July 2026 was 16.3% higher than July 2025

Comparing the latest month of July 2026 to July 2025 shows that Chefs (72.3%), Restaurant and Catering Establishment Managers and Proprietors (68.6%), and Hotel and Accommodation Managers and Proprietors (46%) saw the greatest growth in active job postings. But over the same period, Waiters and Waitresses (-17.6%), Leisure and Travel Service Occupations n.e.c. (-18.6%), and Bar Staff (-20.8%) saw the largest contractions in job postings.

Monthly update

The jobs with the most growth when comparing June 2026 to July 2026 were Hotel and Accommodation Managers and Proprietors (6.9%) and Cleaning and Housekeeping Managers and Supervisors (5.1%). And Restaurant and Catering Establishment Managers and Proprietors only contracted very marginally (-0.5%).

The occupations with the largest contraction when comparing June 2026 and July 2026 were Waiters and Waitresses (-18.4%), Bakers and Flour Confectioners (-18.4%), and Bar Staff (-20.2%).

Tourism

Year-on-year

Tourism saw a total of 19,669 active job postings in July 2026, representing a -1.7% contraction since June 2026 – but a 22.4% increase compared with July 2025. Similar to Hospitality, June 2026 recorded the highest average number of job postings per occupation.

When comparing growth in average job postings year-on-year during the summer hiring period, growth remains evident:

• May 2026 was 20.5% higher than May 2025.
• June 2026 was 24.3% higher than June 2025.
• July 2026 was 22.4% higher than July 2025.

Comparing the latest month of July 2026 to July 2025 shows that Travel Agents (72%), Restaurant and Catering Establishment Managers and Proprietors (68.7%), and Hotel and Accommodation Managers and Proprietors (46%) saw the greatest growth. The occupations that contracted the most in that period were Library Clerks and Assistants (-18.4%), Leisure and Travel Service Occupations n.e.c. (-18.6%), and Leisure and Theme Park Attendants (-19.1%).

Monthly update

The occupations with the most growth between June 2026 and July 2026 were Hotel and Accommodation Managers and Proprietors (6.9%), Functional Managers and Directors n.e.c. (4.7%), and Archivists, Conservators and Curators (3.8%).

The jobs that contracted the most between June 2026 and July 2026 were Library Clerks and Assistants (-9.1%), Sports and Leisure Assistants (-9.3%), and Leisure and Theme Park Attendants (-15.4%).

Construction

Year-on-year

Construction saw a total of 123,836 active job postings in July 2026. This represents a 0.8% increase from June 2026 – and an 8.2% increase on July 2025. Unlike with Hospitality and Tourism, July 2026 recorded the highest average number of active job postings during the measured summer hiring period.

There was less of a dramatic increase in average job postings for Construction when comparing the 2025 summer hiring period with 2026 than was seen in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors:

• May 2026 was 2.2% higher than May 2025.
• June 2026 was 3.4% higher than June 2025.
• July 2026 was 8.2% higher than July 2025.

This could be because Construction has been more stable than Hospitality and Tourism, which have been more affected by disposable income spending because of economic and political uncertainty, leading to greater job market volatility.

Comparing the latest month of July 2026 to July 2025 shows that Civil Engineers (26.2%), Assemblers (Electrical and Electronic Products) (19.8%), and Carpenters and Joiners (18.9%) recorded the strongest growth.

In contrast, Scaffolders, Stagers and Riggers (-12.6%), Stonemasons and Related Trades (-14.1%), and Production Managers and Directors in Mining and Energy (-16.2%) experienced the largest contractions between July 2025 and July 2026.

Monthly update

When comparing June 2026 to July 2026, the occupations that recorded the greatest growth in active job postings were Steel Erectors (16.8%), Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Installers and Repairers (11.5%), and Construction and Building Trades Supervisors (8.5%).

Over the same period, Plasterers (-12.5%), Upholsterers (-15%) and Glaziers, and Window Fabricators and Fitters (-16%) experienced the largest contractions in active job postings.

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. Our 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. Examples of removed content include: 

• Postings requiring employee financial investment
• Pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing (MLM) postings
• Sexually explicit or discriminatory content
• Spam from job boards, including certain gig economy, military, or trucking postings

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 we understand that retroactive changes can affect your analysis, this process is designed to maintain our 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 August 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