Quarterly job market analysis from CV-Library, suggests hiring confidence might be returning after a sluggish April and May. June vacancies were up 12.4 per cent on the same month last year, from 751,449 to 844,311, and 21 per cent up from May 2026, taking the number of vacancies from 698,571.
CV-Library combines live job market data with a survey of UK employers to produce its quarterly job market report: it shows the second quarter as a whole was slow for UK hiring as job postings dipped 1.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter, but this masked a very strong June with job vacancies for the month the highest level since October 2023.
This jump was reflected in both permanent and temporary hiring – permanent roles rose 21 per cent (up from 603,114 to 727,869) and temporary/contract postings up 22 per cent month on month, with vacancies rising from 95,457 to 116,442 (June 2026 compared to May 2026).
This late quarter increase in hiring corresponds to market survey respondents showing an intent to accelerate hiring over the next 6 months. According to CV-Library’s survey of UK businesses, more than half (51 per cent) say they expect headcount to grow over the next six months.
Education, Hospitality and Health remained the most consistently in-demand sectors by volume. The biggest quarterly movers were Leisure and Tourism, up 35 per cent on Q1 2026 (from 1,575 to 2,127 vacancies), and Logistics and Distribution, up 16.5 per cent from 65,806 to 76,639. Looking year-on-year, the fastest-growing sectors were Leisure and Tourism (+31.5 per cent), Hospitality – Catering (+18.4 per cent), Logistics and Distribution (+17.3 per cent), and Management roles (+12.5 per cent).
While 62 per cent of businesses report the cost of employing staff has risen over the past year, average advertised salaries grew just 2.28 per cent year-on-year. Instead, the increase in employer National Insurance is cited by employers as the single biggest driver of rising costs (19 per cent).
Hiring is also getting harder, as half of businesses say finding the right candidates is tougher than 12 months ago, with a shortage of candidates with the most relevant skills. That squeeze is noted in the market data too – private-sector salary transparency jumped 58.5 per cent year-on-year, as employers lead with pay to compete for qualified talent.
“After a positive start to the year, with job postings up in January and February, hiring took a hit in the subsequent three months,” said Lee Biggins, CEO and Founder of CV-Library. “The war in Iran and rising energy and supply chain costs tempered confidence leading to a notable dip in the number of postings. But June has bucked the trend with a significant uptick in the number of job roles advertised – the highest level since October 2023.
“We may be seeing green shoots of confidence, but businesses still face hiring headwinds,” he added. “More than six in ten businesses say employment costs are rising – driven by National Insurance and other hiring costs. Add into the mix the Employment Rights Bill, a shortage of candidates with the right skills and wider economic uncertainty, and we need to be cautious in proclaiming the market has turned.”
“But, if June’s uplift in job postings can be sustained going into Q3, and cost pressures ease even a little, we could finally see a longer-term, up-turn in the job market which will be good news for everyone,” Biggins concluded.
