UK job vacancies ‘fall to lowest level since pandemic’

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Joanna PartridgeFebruary 23, 2026 at 01:01 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A recent report by Adzuna indicates a significant decline in UK job vacancies, reaching the lowest level since the pandemic began in January 2021. The number of advertised positions fell by 3% in January 2026 to 695,000, with graduate jobs experiencing a notable drop. This decline reflects a broader downward trend observed since late 2025, attributed to factors such as increased national insurance contributions, minimum wage increases, and a shift towards automation. Consequently, competition for available jobs has intensified, with 2.4 jobseekers per vacancy. While vacancies have decreased across the UK, London experienced the sharpest monthly drop. Despite the challenging job market, wage growth persists, suggesting employers are still willing to pay for skilled workers.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Andrew Hunter 40% London 50% Rachel Reeves 60% Adzuna ×380% United Kingdom ×490%

Keywords

job vacancies 100% unemployment 80% hiring slowdown 70% youth unemployment 70% labour costs 60% job market 60% wage growth 60% artificial intelligence 50% automation 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United Kingdom

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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job vacancies unemployment hiring slowdown youth unemployment labour costs job market wage growth artificial intelligence automation

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