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.
“This is the summer when the seasonal summer jobs market started to come back,” said Maxine Bligh, REC’s Chief Membership & Innovation Officer. “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.”
Bligh added that the challenge now 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,” she said. “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 per cent), Actors, Entertainers and Presenters (27.7 per cent) and Environment Professionals (24.5 per cent).
In contrast, Secondary Education Teaching Professionals (-22.2 per cent), Undertakers, Mortuary and Crematorium Assistants (-28.4 per cent), and Head Teachers and Principals (-30.1 per cent) experienced the largest contractions in active job postings between June 2026 and July 2026.
