After three years of falling vacancies, the ONS reported that the number of UK job openings has been broadly flat since March 2025, sitting at around 721,000 to February 2026.
This is 10% down on the number of 797,000 at the same time last year. Combined with an unemployment rate now at 5.2%, it is an easier market to find candidates than it has been for several years.
A word of caution for Q2, vacancies could fall further over the coming quarter. The uncertainty created by the Iran situation, further minimum wage increases from 1 April 2026 and the Employment Rights Act are all factors employers are weighing up before committing to new hires.
Hiring Q1 2026 Snapshot
- ONS Job Openings (Dec-Feb) – 721,000
- Unemployment Rate (Jan 25) – 5.2%
- Job Board with most applications – Indeed (25%)
- Job Board with most hires for Get Staffed customers – Totaljobs (31%)
- % of jobs advertised with a salary – 80%
- Industry with most jobs advertised on Get Staffed – Health & Social Care
Which Job Boards are Actually Producing Hires in 2026
| Job Board | Applications (Q1) | Hires (March) |
|---|---|---|
| Totaljobs | 23% | 31% |
| Indeed | 25% | 28% |
| Reed | 12% | 15% |
| CV Library | 14% | 10% |
| Guardian Jobs | 7% | 8% |
| FindaJob | 13% | 5% |
| Others | 5% | 3% |
Q1 2026 — Applications and hires by job board
Indeed and Totaljobs together accounted for 48% of all applications in Q1. In March, Totaljobs was the biggest source of confirmed hires, with 31% of all hires made by Get Staffed customers.
Reed and Guardian Jobs both outperformed their application share when it came to hires. Candidates from those boards converted at a higher rate, which points to better candidate quality rather than volume.
FindaJob generated 13% of applications but only 5% of hires.
Which job boards get the most applications?
| Job Board | Avg. Applications |
|---|---|
| Indeed | 24.0 |
| Totaljobs | 23.8 |
| FindaJob | 16.8 |
| CV Library | 15.5 |
| Reed | 13.0 |
| Guardian Jobs | 8.5 |
Q1 2026 — Average applications by job board
This data covers closed roles only. All applications are driven from a single job board credit per campaign.
Indeed and Totaljobs lead on volume. The Get Staffed figure of 4.7 reflects direct traffic to the Get Staffed jobs page itself, not the job board network.
Salary Transparency
In Q1 2026, 80% of job adverts posted through Get Staffed included a salary.
The UK market average, according to CV Library’s Q1 2026 analysis, was 54%. For context, the public sector sits at 65%. Most private sector employers are still behind even that benchmark.
We see a 25% uplift in applications when advertising with a salary.
Top 10 Sectors Our Customers Advertised During Q1 2026
These were the ten sectors where Get Staffed customers were most actively hiring between January and March 2026:
| Sector | Jobs Advertised |
|---|---|
| Health & Social Care | 61 |
| Construction | 48 |
| Sales | 43 |
| IT | 35 |
| Manufacturing | 27 |
| Charities | 26 |
| Transport & Logistics | 25 |
| Administration | 23 |
| Education | 17 |
| Catering | 16 |
Q1 2026 — Get Staffed Online jobs advertised by sector
Health & Social Care leads, which reflects both the ongoing demand in that sector and the fact that it is one of the most consistently active regardless of broader economic conditions.
Construction at number two in our data is worth noting. Nationally, construction activity remained in contraction territory, but hiring for skilled trades and site-based roles continued. Employers in that sector are hiring despite the macro headwinds, not waiting for them to clear.
What is Driving Candidate Behaviour in Q1 2026?
There are more candidates available right now than at any point since the pandemic. Adzuna’s February data showed 2.4 jobseekers for every vacancy. However, more availability does not mean lower expectations.
Pay remains the primary reason people move jobs. In a candidate-rich market, you might assume you can afford to be less competitive on salary. The data suggests the opposite. Candidates have more options to compare, which makes your offer more visible, not less.
- Totaljobs research found that 51% of job switchers cited higher salary as their main motivation
- 41% of all candidates are actively looking or planning to look for a new role in 2026
- 72% of candidates say they would consider leaving a job that does not support flexible working
Flexibility is not a bonus anymore. If your advert does not address working arrangements clearly, a significant portion of your potential applicant pool will move on before they apply.
Summary
A static number of vacancies, but an increasing talent pool isn’t meaning less demanding applications. Candidates expectations are good pay and flexibility.
Job Boards are delivering more candidates than ever, so a good process and filtering the best candidates is key.
We’re finding customers are hiring from a variety of our job board partners.
If you want advice or to speak to the team about increasing your chances of hiring then reach out to the Get Staffed team today.
Methodology
Get Staffed exclusive data is from over 650 adverts placed by UK businesses, charities and schools using the Get Staffed ATS.
All job data is from vacancies advertised between 1st Jan 2026 and the 31st March 2026.
External data sources: ONS Labour Market Overview March 2026; KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs March 2026; Adzuna UK Job Market Report February 2026; CV Library Q1 2026 Job Market Analysis; Totaljobs Hiring Trends Update 2026; Indeed Hiring Lab UK 2026 Report.
