LONDON / RankWire.AI / – According to recent data from Adzuna, the number of graduate job opportunities in the UK dropped by almost 46% in July compared to the same month last year. The platform reported 8,383 active graduate vacancies, a decrease from 15,397 in July 2025. This figure is the lowest since Adzuna launched its monthly graduate jobs series in April 2016, and it remains well below the peak of over 55,000 positions recorded in 2017.
During the same timeframe, competition within the wider UK employment market intensified. Adzuna’s data shows there were 2.14 jobseekers per vacancy in July, compared with 1.93 a year earlier. This indicator reflects the broader labour market rather than just graduate roles. Since Adzuna compiles online job ads from over 1,000 sources, its graduate vacancy count does not encompass every opportunity accessible to recent university graduates.
Official employment figures also indicate a reduction in vacancies nationwide. The Office for National Statistics estimated that from May through July 2026, there were 707,000 vacancies across the UK economy. This was 6,000 fewer than in the previous three months and 19,000 less than the same period last year. Additionally, the ONS’s data shows there were 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy from April to June, an increase from 2.3 a year earlier.
Graduate recruitment weakens as competition intensifies
The downward trend coincides with a record number of young individuals preparing to start higher education. UCAS reported that by August 13, 262,820 UK 18-year-olds had secured undergraduate places—an increase of 3% from 255,130 at the same stage last year. Despite this rise in accepted applicants, the entry rate for UK 18-year-olds held steady at 31.6%, reflecting a broadly unchanged proportion entering higher education.
Data from other sources also reveal fierce competition for well-established graduate schemes. The Institute of Student Employers noted that during the 2024/25 recruitment cycle, participating firms received just over one million applications for graduate roles. The average application per vacancy was 140, and the organization emphasized that application volumes among its surveyed employers remained at record highs.
UK’s overall vacancy market remains subdued
Changes in hiring expenses have also been observed since April 2025, influenced by previously announced tax measures. The employer National Insurance rate increased to 15% from 13.8%, while the secondary threshold for annual contributions decreased to £5,000 from £9,100. According to the ONS, feedback from its vacancy survey indicates that some small businesses are limiting recruitment due to increased labour and operational costs. Recent figures show vacancies declined across nine of the 18 industry sectors.
Artificial intelligence remains a key topic in discussions about entry-level jobs, though official assessments are cautious regarding its current impact. Skills England stated in August that it is still difficult to distinguish AI’s effects from broader labour market trends. Meanwhile, the ONS’s data reveals that 1.012 million individuals aged 16 to 24 were not engaged in education, employment, or training between January and March 2026. This represented 13.5% of young people in that age group, an increase of 89,000 from the previous year.
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