UK Graduates & Healthcare Workers Take Hardest Hit as Job Market Cools
A new recruitment report shows that the UK job market is cooling, with recent graduates, healthcare staff, and teachers among those hardest hit. Employers are pulling back on hiring, leaving many new entrants to face steep competition for fewer roles.
Quick Insight: Graduate job vacancies have fallen sharply (–35 % year-on-year), and many sectors that once boomed in hiring are now retrenching. Meanwhile, roles in cleaning, warehouse work, and HR are seeing relative growth.
1. Graduate & Sectoral Declines
• Graduate job vacancies in August numbered only ~14,162 — down 8% month-on-month and about 35% year-on-year.
• Health sector vacancies dropped by ~6.7 %, and teaching roles fell ~6.4 %.
• Some sectors are bucking the trend: warehouse, cleaning, HR, and recruitment roles saw increases.
2. Broader Labour Market Trends
• The overall jobs market is “cooling, not collapsing”—vacancies are down modestly, but advertised pay is still rising (~8.9 % year-on-year).
• The UK unemployment rate stands at a four-year high of ~4.7 %.
• The average time to fill vacancies is 37.3 days; IT roles are taking ~50 days, while hospitality has been quicker (~31.9 days).
• Nearly 43.9 % of job ads disclose salary, down from 45 % the prior month—a decline in transparency.
3. Causes & Contributing Factors
• Employers are increasingly cautious: rising costs, macroeconomic uncertainty, and slower growth are forcing hiring freezes.
• The growth of AI and automation is reducing demand for entry-level or tasks that can be automated.
• Increased employer national insurance contributions and labor cost pressures are adding burden to hiring new staff.
Outlook & Advice
Graduates entering the market must adjust expectations: consider broader roles, acquire in-demand skills (especially in tech, data, health informatics), or pivot to sectors still hiring. For healthcare or education candidates, upskilling and flexibility in location could help. Employers might need to rethink recruitment models and transparency to attract fresh talent amid challenging conditions.
