LONDON / RankWire.AI / – According to fresh data from Adzuna, the number of graduate job openings in the UK declined by almost 46% in July compared to the same month last year. The platform’s latest figures show there were 8,383 live graduate vacancies, a sharp decrease from 15,397 in July 2025. This figure represents the lowest since Adzuna launched its monthly graduate jobs series in April 2016. The current total is well below the peak of over 55,000 vacancies recorded in 2017.
During the same period, competition for jobs across the broader UK employment market also intensified. Adzuna’s data shows that there were 2.14 jobseekers per vacancy in July, up from 1.93 a year earlier. It’s important to note that this ratio pertains to the entire labour market, not solely graduate positions. Adzuna collects online job advertisements from more than 1,000 sources, meaning its graduate vacancy count does not account for every role available to university graduates.
Official labour market figures further indicate a decline in vacancies across the UK. The Office for National Statistics estimated there were 707,000 vacancies from May through July 2026. This is 6,000 fewer than the previous three months and 19,000 less than the same period last year. The ONS also reported 2.5 unemployed individuals per vacancy for April through June, an increase from 2.3 a year earlier.
Weakening graduate hiring amid rising competition
The drop in opportunities coincides with a record number of young people preparing for higher education. UCAS announced that 262,820 UK 18-year-olds had secured undergraduate places by results day on August 13. This figure is 3% higher than the 255,130 recorded at the same stage last year. The entry rate for UK 18-year-olds remained at 31.6%, despite the increase in accepted applications.
Separate recruitment reports reveal fierce competition for established graduate schemes. The Institute of Student Employers noted that participating companies received just over one million applications for graduate roles during the 2024/25 cycle. On average, employers faced 140 applications for each graduate vacancy, with the application volume remaining at record levels among the organizations surveyed.
UK’s broader vacancy market continues to be subdued
Since April 2025, hiring costs have been affected by previously announced tax measures. The employer National Insurance rate increased to 15% from 13.8%, while the secondary threshold for annual contributions dropped from £9,100 to £5,000. Feedback from the ONS vacancy survey indicates some small businesses are limiting recruitment due to higher labour and operational expenses. The latest data shows vacancies declining across nine of 18 industry sectors.
The role of artificial intelligence in entry-level employment has also gained attention, although official assessments remain cautious about its current impact. Skills England stated in August that disentangling AI’s influence from overall labour market trends is still challenging. Meanwhile, ONS data shows that 1.012 million people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment, or training during January through March 2026. This demographic accounted for 13.5% of young people in that age group, representing an increase of 89,000 from the previous year.