UK Graduate Job Vacancies Plunge to Lowest Level in a Decade

LONDON — Graduate job vacancies in the United Kingdom have fallen to their lowest level since records began a decade ago, highlighting growing challenges for young people entering the labour market.

According to recruitment website Adzuna, just 8,383 graduate positions were advertised in July, representing a 45 percent decline from the same month last year and the lowest level since Adzuna began tracking graduate vacancies in 2016.

The sharp decline comes as a record 262,820 people are expected to enter university in September, raising concerns about the prospects facing graduates when they complete their studies. The weakening graduate market is also occurring amid broader difficulties for young workers, with around 1 million people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training during the first quarter of 2026.

Adzuna said vacancies had declined across several sectors, including healthcare, nursing, hospitality and logistics. The recruitment company warned that a recovery seen earlier in the year appeared to have reversed, with the number of jobseekers competing for each vacancy now higher than a year ago.

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, described July’s figures as a setback rather than a temporary fluctuation, noting that employers had yet to increase hiring at the graduate level.

The deterioration in entry-level employment prospects has been attributed to several factors, including higher employer costs following increases in national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. Businesses are also increasingly investing in automation and artificial intelligence, potentially reducing demand for some entry-level positions.

Adzuna’s earlier labour-market data had already shown a prolonged deterioration in graduate recruitment. Its May report recorded only 8,398 graduate vacancies, down 42.1 percent year on year, while graduate roles had become among the slowest positions to fill.

Despite the overall decline, some sectors continued to create opportunities for university graduates. Teaching, travel, trade and construction were among the areas recording increases in advertised positions, with manufacturing also showing signs of improvement.

The deteriorating outlook has intensified concerns about youth employment and the ability of the UK economy to provide sufficient opportunities for a growing number of young people. The figures are also likely to increase pressure on the government to expand technical education, apprenticeships and other measures aimed at helping young people transition from education into employment.