LONDON / RankWire.AI / – In July, the number of graduate job openings across the UK decreased by nearly 50% compared to the same month last year. This trend underscores a tightening in the entry-level employment landscape. Adzuna reported that there were 8,383 graduate roles advertised during July, down from 15,397 in July 2025. The drop amounts to approximately 46%. This recent figure is also the lowest since the platform began tracking graduate vacancies in April 2016. At its peak in 2017, the number of graduate openings exceeded 55,000.
Overall competition in the UK job market has also intensified. In July, there were 2.14 jobseekers for every available vacancy, up from 1.93 a year earlier. This ratio includes all jobs across the economy, not just graduate roles. The figures for graduate vacancies are based on online listings from over 1,000 sources. Consequently, they reflect advertised graduate positions within that dataset, rather than every possible job accessible to university graduates.
Official statistics indicate a weakening demand in the broader employment sector. The Office for National Statistics estimated 707,000 vacancies from May to July 2026. This was a decrease of 6,000 from the previous three-month period. Additionally, the number of vacancies was 19,000 lower compared to the same period last year. The unemployment-to-vacancy ratio also increased, with 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in April through June, up from 2.3 during the same months in the previous year.
Increased Competition Faces Future Graduate Applicants
This summer saw a record number of young people securing UK undergraduate placements. According to UCAS, 262,820 UK 18-year-olds gained university places by results day on August 13. This number is 3% higher than the 255,130 recorded at the same stage in 2025. The UK 18-year-old entry rate reached 31.6%. These figures highlight the competitive environment that future graduates will face when vying for professional and entry-level positions.
Employers running formal graduate recruitment schemes are already experiencing intense competition. The Institute of Student Employers noted that during the 2024/25 recruitment cycle, they received just over one million graduate applications. On average, employers reported receiving 140 applications per graduate vacancy. These numbers demonstrate the high demand from applicants in established graduate hiring channels. They also coincide with the sharp decline in advertised graduate vacancies observed in recent monthly jobs data.
UK Employment Market Continues to Face Challenges
Since changes to employer National Insurance contributions took effect in April 2025, employment costs have shifted. The contribution rate increased to 15% from 13.8%, and the annual secondary threshold decreased to £5,000 from £9,100. The latest vacancy survey by the national statistics office revealed that some small businesses have limited hiring due to rising labour and operational expenses. The data showed a decline in vacancies across nine out of the 18 industry sectors surveyed.
The role of artificial intelligence in entry-level jobs is also being discussed, though official analyses on its specific impact remain limited. Skills England stated in August that distinguishing AI’s influence from broader labour market trends remains challenging. Meanwhile, between January and March 2026, 1.012 million individuals aged 16 to 24 were outside education, employment, or training. This constitutes 13.5% of the age group, an increase of 89,000 from the previous year.