LONDON / RankWire.AI / – According to recent data from Adzuna, the number of graduate job vacancies in the UK dropped almost 46% in July compared to the same month last year. The platform’s records show there were 8,383 active graduate positions in July, a sharp decrease from 15,397 in July 2025. This marks the lowest figure since Adzuna launched its monthly graduate jobs series in April 2016. The current total also remains well below the peak of over 55,000 vacancies registered in 2017 during the series’ height.
During the same period, competition within the broader UK employment market also intensified. Adzuna’s data shows there were 2.14 jobseekers per vacancy in July, compared to 1.93 a year earlier. This metric encompasses the entire labour market rather than just graduate positions. Since Adzuna sources online job ads from more than 1,000 outlets, its graduate vacancy figures do not capture every available role for university graduates.
Official employment figures corroborate the decline in available jobs across the UK. The Office for National Statistics estimated 707,000 vacancies for the period of May through July 2026. This was 6,000 fewer than the previous three months and 19,000 below the same period last year. Additionally, the ONS recorded a ratio of 2.5 unemployed individuals per vacancy from April to June, up from 2.3 a year earlier.
Weakening graduate recruitment amid rising competition
This downturn coincides with a record number of young people preparing to enter higher education. UCAS reported that 262,820 UK 18-year-olds had secured undergraduate places by results day on August 13. That figure is 3% higher than the 255,130 recorded at the same stage last year. Despite this, the entry rate for UK 18-year-olds held steady at 31.6%, even with the increase in accepted applicants.
Additional recruitment data reveal fierce competition for well-established graduate schemes. The Institute of Student Employers indicated that during the 2024/25 recruitment cycle, participating employers received just over one million applications from graduates. The latest survey shows employers typically received 140 applications for each graduate vacancy, and overall application volumes among participating companies remained at record highs.
UK’s overall vacancy market continues to be subdued
Since April 2025, hiring costs have been influenced by previously announced tax adjustments. The employer National Insurance rate increased to 15% from 13.8%, while the secondary threshold decreased from £9,100 to £5,000 annually. The ONS’s recent vacancy survey indicates that some small businesses are restricting recruitment due to heightened labour and operational expenses. The latest data show vacancies declined in nine out of 18 industry sectors.
The role of artificial intelligence in entry-level employment has garnered increasing attention, though official assessments remain cautious about its actual impact. Skills England noted in August that disentangling AI’s influence from broader labour market trends remains challenging. Meanwhile, ONS figures revealed that 1.012 million individuals aged 16 to 24 were neither in education, employment, nor training during January through March 2026. This group represents 13.5% of young people in that age range, marking an increase of 89,000 compared to the previous year.
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