UK Graduate Job Vacancies Fall 45.6% In July, Adzuna Report Finds

Graduate job vacancies in the United Kingdom have fallen by nearly half over the past year, with employers cutting back on entry-level hiring amid rising costs and growing use of artificial intelligence, according to figures cited by the BBC. Job website Adzuna listed 8,383 graduate vacancies in July, compared with 15,397 during the same month last year. The decline comes as competition among job seekers across the wider labour market also increases.

Adzuna data showed that the number of graduate vacancies reached its lowest level since 2016. The website had recorded a peak of more than 55,800 graduate roles in 2017, making the latest figure less than one-sixth of that level. The number of job seekers competing for each vacancy across all levels also increased, reaching an average of 2.14 in July compared with 1.93 a year earlier.

Businesses have pointed to higher employment costs as one factor affecting recruitment, particularly for junior positions. Changes involving employer National Insurance contributions and increases in the minimum wage have made entry-level hiring more expensive, according to businesses cited by the BBC. Adzuna co-founder Andrew Hunter noted that employers had yet to find sufficient reasons to increase recruitment of recent graduates, while graduate jobs expert Charlie Ball described the market as weak rather than collapsed.

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The situation comes as young people in the UK face broader employment challenges. Official figures showed that the youth unemployment rate among people aged 16 to 24 stood at 16.2 per cent during the first three months of 2026. More than one million young people are also reported to be outside education, employment or training. Some young job seekers have expressed frustration over employers increasingly using AI-based systems to screen applications.

A review of the country's youth unemployment situation is being led by former government minister Alan Milburn, who has previously pointed to a decline in entry-level and part-time opportunities traditionally taken up by young people and students. At the same time, the Adzuna data showed mixed trends across industries, with vacancies in travel, teaching and construction rising in recent weeks, while healthcare, nursing, hospitality and logistics recorded declines.

The UK government has also introduced measures aimed at improving employment and training opportunities for young people. Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently changed public-contract rules to require companies bidding for contracts to demonstrate how they would create jobs and training opportunities. A government spokesperson pointed to 253,000 more people being in work than a year earlier and highlighted a £2.5 billion youth employment package expected to provide almost one million opportunities to earn or learn.

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