Provisional Office for National Statistics estimates put total UK vacancies at 712,000 in the three months to June 2026, a drop of 7,000 on the previous quarter and part of a sustained slide in hiring demand since early 2025.
The figures show UK vacancies have fallen again, according to early experimental estimates published by the ONS. The 7,000 drop to 712,000 follows a steeper fall in the March to May 2026 period, when vacancies declined to 710,000, the lowest level recorded since February to April 2021. Separate analysis based on ONS data describes vacancy levels around that range as the weakest non-pandemic reading in more than eleven years.
One important caveat: the ONS places an approximate confidence interval of plus or minus 32,000 around these early estimates. That means the 7,000 quarterly movement sits well within the margin of error and may not be statistically significant on its own. The trend across several quarters, however, points consistently downward.
Job postings data adds weight to that picture. Hiring Lab figures for mid-June 2026 show UK job postings were down around 5 per cent month-on-month and 13 per cent year-on-year, sitting roughly 32 per cent below their pre-pandemic baseline. Declines have been broad-based, with professional services, retail and hospitality among the hardest-hit sectors, while health and social care has held up comparatively better.
For Kent households and businesses, the national figures don’t come with a county-level breakdown — the 712,000 total covers the whole of the UK. But the county’s economy is closely tied to sectors where vacancies are falling fastest. Retail, hospitality and logistics are all significant employers here, and fewer advertised roles nationally tends to mean stiffer competition locally, especially for young people and those moving between careers. Employers in those fields may face less pressure on wages, while workers could find their options narrowing.
The ONS flags that early estimates are subject to revision once full survey data are processed, and advises reading vacancy figures alongside other indicators such as unemployment rates and pay growth before drawing firm conclusions about labour market health.
Source: @ONS