UK job vacancies are at their lowest level since 2014, outside the pandemic. The ONS put vacancies at 702,000 for June to August 2026, down another 1.1% on the previous quarter.
Fewer jobs means more competition for talent, we’re seeing that at Get Staffed with our clients roles received a median of 51 applications in Q3 2026, up 13% on Q3 2025 and 7% on Q2 2026.
There are early signs of a turn. The KPMG and REC Report on Jobs recorded a second consecutive monthly rise in permanent placements in September, taking the index to a four-year high. Candidate availability rose again, its 43rd month of growth in a row. For employers, that means more choice right now, and less patience from the best candidates.
This report draws on 265,648 applications to UK job adverts posted through Get Staffed between October 2024 and October 2026, and a survey of 401 UK jobseekers. It shows which job boards produced hires, how long adverts keep working, when candidates apply and what gets an advert more applications.
Hiring Q2 2026 Snapshot
- ONS job vacancies (Jun to Aug 2026): 702,000
- Unemployment rate (May to Jul 2026): 4.9%
- Median applications per job advert (Q3 2026): 51, up 13% on Q3 2025
- Job board with most applications in Q3: Indeed (27.7%)
- Job board with most hires for Get Staffed customers: Indeed (42.4%, last 12 months)
- Adverts posted with a salary in Q3: 88%
- Industry with most jobs advertised on Get Staffed: Health & Social Care
- Busiest hour of the week for applications: Monday, 12pm to 1pm
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View the data
| Quarter | Median applications per job | Completed adverts (n) |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2024 | 51 | 185 |
| Q1 2025 | 54 | 323 |
| Q2 2025 | 47 | 357 |
| Q3 2025 | 45 | 411 |
| Q4 2025 | 49 | 346 |
| Q1 2026 | 52 | 502 |
| Q2 2026 | 47.5 | 384 |
| Q3 2026 | 51 | 259 |
Timing matters too. Adverts that went live in January received the most applications (a median of 56, 13% above an average month). Adverts that went live in June, coming into summer, received the fewest (43, 13% below).
The national picture explains the rise. Adzuna counted 791,490 advertised vacancies in July, 9.6% fewer than a year earlier. Fewer adverts, more people looking, more applications per job.
Which Job Boards are Actually Producing Hires in 2026
Indeed has produced 42.4% of the hires we could trace back to a job board over the last 12 months. Totaljobs (22.8% of hires) and CV-Library (13.7%) produced hires roughly in line with their share of applications. Reed and FindaJob delivered volume that converted less often. Reed produced 14.8% of applications and 9.5% of hires.
More than half of hires (57.6%) still came from boards other than Indeed. Which proves advertising on one board significantly reduces your chance of a successful campaign.
| Job board | Share of hires | Share of applications | Hire index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indeed | 42.4% | 27.9% | 1.52 |
| Totaljobs | 22.8% | 24.0% | 0.95 |
| CV-Library | 13.7% | 15.2% | 0.90 |
| Reed | 9.5% | 14.8% | 0.64 |
| FindaJob | 4.2% | 8.6% | 0.49 |
| Guardian Jobs* | 3.6% | 5.5% | 0.66 |
| Get Staffed jobs page | 2.9% | 3.3% | 0.88 |
View the data
| Job board | Share of applications | Share of hires | Hire index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indeed | 27.9% | 42.4% | 1.52 |
| Totaljobs | 24.0% | 22.8% | 0.95 |
| CV-Library | 15.2% | 13.7% | 0.90 |
| Reed | 14.8% | 9.5% | 0.64 |
| FindaJob | 8.6% | 4.2% | 0.49 |
| Guardian Jobs* | 5.5% | 3.6% | 0.66 |
| Get Staffed jobs page | 3.3% | 2.9% | 0.88 |
Using our ATS data employers rate Indeed applicants highly too. On jobs where the employer actively managed candidates, 12.1% of Indeed applicants were shortlisted, against 8.1% from Totaljobs, 7.0% from Reed and 6.6% from CV-Library. Potentially showing the AI job matching work that Indeed are doing is paying off.
However, our AI CV matching tells a different story. Applicants from Guardian Jobs (41.8%), Totaljobs (38.9%) and CV-Library (38.7%) were the most likely to be rated a great or good match for the advert (matching CV to job advert). Indeed applicants were the least likely of the main boards, at 32.2%. Indeed brings the most people and the most hires, while Totaljobs and CV-Library bring a higher share of well-matched CVs.
This is a different picture from our Q1 2026 report, which showed Totaljobs ahead on hires.
Which job boards get the most applications?
Indeed delivered the most applications per advert in every one of the 15 sectors we track. A typical advert received 19 applications from Indeed, 12 from Totaljobs, 7 from CV-Library and 5 from Reed.
Indeed’s share of all applications rose to 26.8% over the last 12 months, up 3.7 points on the year before. Reed’s rose 4.1 points to 14.8%. Part of Reed’s rise comes from our new packages, which put more adverts on Reed and CV-Library from April 2026.
The other side of those numbers matters more. 73.2% of applications came from boards other than Indeed. And 93.9% of applicants reached a job through one board only. Each board largely reaches different people, which is why posting to multiple job boards still pays.
| Job board | Median per advert | Mean per advert | Share of all applications (change vs prior year) | Adverts with zero applications from the board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indeed | 19 | 22.8 | 26.8% +3.7pp | 0.3% |
| Totaljobs | 12 | 21.0 | 24.3% +0.2pp | 2.9% |
| CV-Library | 7 | 17.6 | 15.0% +1.0pp | 7.4% |
| Reed | 5 | 13.1 | 14.8% +4.1pp | 12.1% |
| FindaJob | 2 | 9.1 | 8.8% -0.6pp | 25.5% |
| Guardian Jobs* | 2 | 7.6 | 5.8% -1.7pp | 26.9% |
| Get Staffed jobs page | 1 | 2.9 | 3.4% -0.3pp | 36.9% |
Means are higher than medians because a handful of roles attract hundreds of applications. We use the median as the typical figure.
Smaller boards are less consistent. FindaJob delivered no applications at all to 25.5% of the adverts it carried, and Guardian Jobs to 26.9%. Guardian Jobs closed in September 2026.
View the data
| Quarter | Applications (n) | Indeed | Totaljobs | CV-Library | Reed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 24 | 15,268 | 17.0% | 26.6% | 16.4% | 12.6% |
| Q1 25 | 26,915 | 17.7% | 21.7% | 16.5% | 11.2% |
| Q2 25 | 29,205 | 26.6% | 22.4% | 13.6% | 8.7% |
| Q3 25 | 31,700 | 27.4% | 26.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Q4 25 | 32,166 | 25.0% | 24.9% | 16.9% | 10.6% |
| Q1 26 | 43,556 | 24.6% | 21.9% | 14.3% | 12.8% |
| Q2 26 | 26,427 | 31.7% | 24.9% | 12.8% | 16.7% |
| Q3 26 | 32,735 | 27.7% | 26.5% | 16.0% | 20.1% |
Which job board works best for your sector?
Indeed leads everywhere, but the gap varies a lot. In Sales, Indeed delivered twice as many applications per advert as Totaljobs (22.5 against 11). In HR & Recruitment (21.5 against 20.5), Admin & Customer Service (28 against 26) and Health & Social Care (15 against 14), Totaljobs ran it close.
Reed performed best in Admin & Customer Service (16 per advert), IT & Technology (12) and HR & Recruitment (11.5). CV-Library was strongest in Admin (17.5) and Marketing (14).
How long should a job advert stay live?
Longer than most employers think. 21.3% of applications arrive in the first 48 hours, and 45.6% in the first week. More than one in five (21.8%) arrive after day 21, in the second half of a six-week advert.
The boards behave very differently. Indeed delivers 69.6% of its applications in week one and only 5.7% after day 21. Totaljobs and Reed are slow burners. Around a third of their applications (32.3% and 32.5%) arrive after day 21.
Combined with the AI scoring of candidates it suggests the speed of applicants from Indeed is what drives the shortlisting, over the quality.
View the data
| Job board | Applications (n) | Days 1-7 | Days 8-21 | Day 22 onwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All boards | 217,343 | 45.6% | 32.6% | 21.8% |
| Indeed | 52,974 | 69.6% | 24.7% | 5.7% |
| CV-Library | 30,945 | 42.7% | 38.6% | 18.7% |
| FindaJob | 20,346 | 38.1% | 39.9% | 22.0% |
| Totaljobs | 52,384 | 37.1% | 30.6% | 32.3% |
| Get Staffed jobs page | 7,762 | 36.9% | 33.9% | 29.2% |
| Reed | 27,069 | 36.7% | 30.8% | 32.5% |
| Guardian Jobs | 15,012 | 36.6% | 41.2% | 22.2% |
Close an advert after a week and you lose more than half of the applications it would have produced, including most of what Totaljobs and Reed would have sent you. Judge an advert at day 14, not day 2. By then 64.2% of applications are in.
This is most notable in the Charity and Education sectors where they regularly use shorter close dates when advertising.
When do candidates apply for jobs?
Almost half of applications (48.2%) are made outside weekday 9am to 6pm. One in five (20.1%) come in on weekday evenings and 16.9% at weekends.
Tuesday is the busiest day, with 18.1% of the week’s applications. Saturday is the quietest, with 8.4%. The single busiest hour of the week is Monday lunchtime, 12pm to 1pm.
View the data
| Day | 00:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 0.28% | 0.20% | 0.15% | 0.10% | 0.07% | 0.11% | 0.18% | 0.27% | 0.56% | 1.14% | 1.36% | 1.34% | 1.37% | 1.28% | 1.34% | 1.27% | 1.20% | 1.04% | 0.92% | 0.82% | 0.86% | 0.74% | 0.66% | 0.52% |
| Tuesday | 0.37% | 0.25% | 0.18% | 0.13% | 0.11% | 0.13% | 0.21% | 0.38% | 0.62% | 1.08% | 1.34% | 1.32% | 1.31% | 1.35% | 1.29% | 1.26% | 1.22% | 0.99% | 0.93% | 0.83% | 0.83% | 0.73% | 0.67% | 0.53% |
| Wednesday | 0.34% | 0.26% | 0.18% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.14% | 0.23% | 0.40% | 0.64% | 1.06% | 1.29% | 1.32% | 1.31% | 1.25% | 1.26% | 1.14% | 1.07% | 0.97% | 0.88% | 0.77% | 0.73% | 0.69% | 0.60% | 0.48% |
| Thursday | 0.34% | 0.25% | 0.17% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.12% | 0.22% | 0.38% | 0.59% | 1.05% | 1.18% | 1.21% | 1.19% | 1.11% | 1.15% | 1.11% | 1.03% | 0.93% | 0.81% | 0.72% | 0.67% | 0.66% | 0.57% | 0.44% |
| Friday | 0.32% | 0.22% | 0.16% | 0.11% | 0.10% | 0.13% | 0.20% | 0.35% | 0.58% | 0.91% | 1.06% | 1.05% | 1.04% | 0.99% | 1.01% | 0.92% | 0.91% | 0.77% | 0.64% | 0.56% | 0.53% | 0.48% | 0.46% | 0.37% |
| Saturday | 0.25% | 0.22% | 0.15% | 0.11% | 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.14% | 0.24% | 0.37% | 0.46% | 0.48% | 0.53% | 0.54% | 0.51% | 0.53% | 0.48% | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.42% | 0.41% | 0.39% | 0.39% | 0.38% | 0.31% |
| Sunday | 0.24% | 0.17% | 0.11% | 0.07% | 0.07% | 0.06% | 0.10% | 0.17% | 0.26% | 0.32% | 0.39% | 0.43% | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.50% | 0.51% | 0.53% | 0.56% | 0.53% | 0.51% | 0.54% | 0.53% | 0.51% | 0.42% |
Health & Social Care candidates apply out of hours the most: 55.0% of their applications land outside weekday 9am to 6pm. Marketing candidates apply out of hours the least, at 43.7%.
Indeed applicants are the most likely to apply during office hours (44.1% outside 9am to 6pm, peaking at 9am). Just over half of Totaljobs and CV-Library applications come in outside those hours.
Most of your candidates apply after your team has gone home. An automatic acknowledgement and a clear next step reach them when they are looking. A reply on Monday morning reaches them days later.
Salary Transparency
In Q3 2026, 88% of adverts posted through Get Staffed included a salary. Across all UK job postings, Indeed puts the figure at around 56%.
Showing a salary helps, but not equally in every sector. Adverts with a salary received a median of 51 applications against 46 without, 11% more. Adverts with a salary won in 9 of 12 sector groups.
The gap was widest in Health & Social Care (86% more applications with a salary), Charity & Public Sector (73%) and Transport & Logistics (73%). In Construction and Marketing, adverts without a salary did as well or better. Our data does not show why.
View the data
| Sector | Difference | Median with salary | Median without salary | Adverts with salary (n) | Adverts without salary (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health & Social Care | +86% | 47.5 | 25.5 | 274 | 14 |
| Charity & Public Sector | +73% | 32 | 18.5 | 127 | 16 |
| Transport & Logistics | +73% | 45 | 26 | 159 | 30 |
| Admin & Customer Service | +37% | 100 | 73 | 169 | 23 |
| Sales | +33% | 54 | 40.5 | 255 | 30 |
| Finance & Accounting | +31% | 56.5 | 43 | 154 | 25 |
| IT & Technology | +5% | 87 | 83 | 204 | 38 |
| Manufacturing & Engineering | -2% | 45 | 46 | 218 | 69 |
| Construction, Property & Trades | -18% | 34 | 41.5 | 281 | 56 |
| Marketing, Media & Creative | -30% | 72 | 103 | 76 | 26 |
Candidates notice. In our jobseeker survey, 38.9% said an advert with no salary has stopped them applying.
Higher pay also attracts better-matched applicants. 50.1% of applicants to adverts paying £60,000 or more were rated a great or good match for the role, against 26.0% for adverts paying under £25,000.
Salary range or single figure?
A salary range does not reliably get more applications than a single figure. Ranges won in only 6 of 15 sectors. Very wide ranges are the exception. Adverts with a range more than 50% wide got a median of 41.5 applications, against 55 for a single figure.
Hourly rate or annual salary?
Hourly-paid adverts beat annual salaries in 5 of 7 sectors. The biggest gap was in Health & Social Care, where adverts with an hourly rate got a median of 76 applications against 27.5 for an annual salary. If other employers advertise the same role by the hour, an annual figure makes yours harder to compare.
Sales roles: put a number on OTE
Only 42.1% of sales adverts state an OTE figure. Those that do got a median of 57 applications, against 44 for adverts that mention commission without a figure. Once we adjusted for location, contract, hours, seniority, quarter and advert length, that is 51% more applications.
Top 10 Sectors Our Customers Advertised During Q3 2026
Health & Social Care was the busiest sector for Get Staffed customers in Q3, with 75 adverts. Construction and Education followed with 58 each.
| Sector | Adverts Q3 2026 | Median applications per advert | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health & Social Care | 75 | 48 | +14% |
| Construction | 58 | 31 | -11% |
| Education | 58 | 34.5 | +38% |
| IT | 56 | 74 | -32% |
| Transport & Logistics | 38 | 50 | +22% |
| Sales | 36 | 54 | +4% |
| Charities | 30 | 34 | +17% |
| Engineering | 26 | 33.5 | +43% |
| Administration | 24 | 93.5 | -7% |
| Accounting | 20 | 75 | +42% |
The busiest sectors are not the most competitive for candidates. Health & Social Care adverts got a median of 48 applications and Construction 31. Administration adverts got 93.5.
Our customers kept hiring in care while the national market shrank. Adzuna recorded 30.6% fewer healthcare and nursing vacancies in July than a year earlier. Nationally, permanent vacancies rose fastest in IT & Computing and Engineering in September, with Retail and Hotel & Catering falling fastest, according to KPMG and REC.
How many applications does a job advert get?
The typical advert received a median of 50 applications over the last 12 months. That hides a wide spread. Admin & Customer Service adverts got a median of 92, and Energy, Environment & Science adverts 26.5. That is a 3.5 times gap.
View the data
| Sector | Median applications per advert | Change vs prior year | Adverts (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin & Customer Service | 92 | -8% | 85 |
| Marketing, Media & Creative | 82.5 | -4% | 40 |
| IT & Technology | 74 | -38% | 147 |
| HR & Recruitment | 73.5 | +30% | 34 |
| Sales | 54 | +4% | 134 |
| Manufacturing & Engineering | 51 | +40% | 157 |
| Finance & Accounting | 50.5 | -13% | 74 |
| Health & Social Care | 47 | +12% | 194 |
| Transport & Logistics | 45 | +25% | 105 |
| Hospitality, Retail & Leisure | 40 | +5% | 61 |
| Construction, Property & Trades | 36.5 | +1% | 198 |
| Charity & Public Sector | 32 | +10% | 91 |
| Education & Childcare | 31 | +24% | 54 |
| Energy, Environment & Science | 26.5 | +66% | 24 |
Remote adverts got 2.6 times as many applications as fixed-location adverts: a median of 126 against 49 over the last 12 months. Remote adverts won in all 4 sectors where we could compare them. Hybrid adverts (50) did no better than office-based ones.
Entry-level roles attract the most candidates. Adverts with trainee, junior or graduate in the title got a median of 79 applications, and apprenticeships 80, against 32 for senior and lead roles. Adzuna counted 45.6% fewer graduate vacancies in July than a year earlier, a record low. More young people are chasing fewer starter roles.
The job titles with the most and fewest applications
Warehouse Operative adverts got a median of 322 applications. Registered Manager adverts got 8. If you are hiring a registered manager, an HGV driver (13) or an electrician (21), plan for a small pool and use every channel you have.
| Job title | Median applications | Adverts (n) | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Operative | 322 | 19 | Most applications |
| IT Support Technician | 197 | 12 | Most applications |
| Customer Service Advisor | 162.5 | 10 | Most applications |
| Administrator | 147 | 20 | Most applications |
| Office Administrator | 137 | 10 | Most applications |
| Support Worker | 136 | 25 | Most applications |
| Care Assistant | 111 | 17 | Most applications |
| Accounts Assistant | 92 | 17 | Most applications |
| Gardener | 26 | 9 | Fewest applications |
| Senior Residential Support Worker | 25 | 12 | Fewest applications |
| Cook | 21.5 | 8 | Fewest applications |
| Electrician | 21 | 15 | Fewest applications |
| HGV Driver | 13 | 19 | Fewest applications |
| Registered Manager | 8 | 19 | Fewest applications |
What makes a job advert get more applications?
The advert itself matters more than any single perk. These findings held after we adjusted for sector, salary, location, contract type, hours, seniority and quarter.
- Write more. Adverts of 500 to 699 words got 44% more applications than adverts under 300 words. A quarter of adverts (26.5%) are under 300 words.
- List your benefits. Adverts listing six or more benefits got a median of 56 applications, against 42 for adverts listing none. 15.9% of adverts list no benefits at all.
- Put a number on OTE. Sales adverts with an OTE figure got 51% more applications than those that mention commission without one.
View the data
| Advert feature | Compared with | Adjusted difference | Confidence | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales advert states an OTE figure | vs commission mentioned with no figure | +51% | Clear | 120 vs 76 adverts |
| Advert of 500 to 699 words | vs under 300 words | +44% | Clear | 606 vs 734 adverts |
| Advert of 300 to 499 words | vs under 300 words | +34% | Clear | 1,190 vs 734 adverts |
| Advert of 700+ words | vs under 300 words | +54% | Directional | 236 vs 734 adverts |
| Lists 10+ benefits | vs no benefits listed | +62% | Directional | 67 vs 439 adverts |
| Lists 6 to 9 benefits | vs no benefits listed | +25% | Directional | 462 vs 439 adverts |
| Lists 3 to 5 benefits | vs no benefits listed | +15% | Directional | 903 vs 439 adverts |
The full list counts for more than any one benefit. Each extra benefit listed is linked to around 3% more applications. Training and development is the most advertised benefit, in 54.9% of adverts, and shows no measurable effect on its own. For frontline, trades and operations roles, mentioning a pension was linked to 33% more applications.
Requiring an extra document, such as a cover letter, made little difference to volume: a median of 46 applications against 49 when none was asked for. Our job advert generator writes a full-length advert with salary and benefits built in.
What is Driving Candidate Behaviour in Q3 2026?
More candidates and fewer jobs has not made jobseekers less demanding. Our survey of 401 UK jobseekers shows what they expect from employers.
Silence is the biggest frustration. 41.3% of those who answered named employers not replying, not giving feedback or replying slowly as the most frustrating part of looking for work. That is 3.4 times as many as named rejection.
“Most frustrating part is applying to lots of roles and not getting any feedback or updates. Sometimes I don’t even know if my application was seen.”
Jobseeker, not employed, looking for six months or more
Speed matters. 66.6% expect a job offer within two weeks of applying, and 30.9% within one week.
A yes is not final. 18.8% have accepted a job offer and then changed their mind before starting.
Barriers cost you applicants. A missing salary has stopped 38.9% of jobseekers applying, and a long application form 32.4%.
View the data
| Reason | Share of jobseekers |
|---|---|
| No salary advertised | 38.9% |
| A long application form | 32.4% |
| The job being 100% office based | 20.2% |
| Being asked to record a video | 15.5% |
| Being asked for a cover letter | 11.5% |
Most candidates still write their own applications. 57.4% have not used AI in their job search, and only 3.0% have used a tool that applies for them. 86.8% accept employers using AI in hiring in some form, and 35.2% are happy as long as a human makes the final decision.
Our application data backs this up. 87.1% of the 207,028 people who applied to a Get Staffed client advert applied to only one job. On adverts where the employer actively managed candidates, 8.4% of applications were shortlisted and 1.7% reached interview.
“…a simple ‘you have not been selected on this occasion’, bog standard copy paste. It’s decent manners.”
Jobseeker, employed and actively looking
Summary
Vacancies are at a 12-year low outside the pandemic and candidate numbers keep rising. That shows up in our data as more applications per advert. The employers who hire well this quarter will make the most of that volume without losing the best people to a slow process.
What to do next:
- Advertise on more than one board. Indeed produced the most hires, but 57.6% came from elsewhere and 93.9% of applicants found the job through one board only.
- Leave adverts live for the full six weeks. More than half of applications arrive after the first week.
- Show the salary. Use an hourly rate for shift and frontline roles, and a figure for OTE in sales.
- Write a full advert. Aim for 500 words or more and list your benefits.
- Reply to every applicant. Almost half apply outside office hours, and silence is what they complain about most.
Post your next job free and see how many applications it gets across the UK’s main job boards, or talk to the Get Staffed team about your next hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which job board gets the most applications in the UK?
Indeed. It delivered a median of 19 applications per advert over the last 12 months, against 12 from Totaljobs, 7 from CV-Library and 5 from Reed, and led in every sector we track. It also produced 42.4% of traceable hires.
When do most people apply for jobs?
During the working day, but not only then. 48.2% of applications are made outside weekday 9am to 6pm. Tuesday is the busiest day and Monday 12pm to 1pm the busiest hour.
How long should a job advert be live?
At least four weeks, ideally six. Only 45.6% of applications arrive in the first week, 89.3% by day 28, and 21.8% after day 21.
Does putting a salary on a job advert increase applications?
Usually. Adverts with a salary got a median of 51 applications against 46 without, and won in 9 of 12 sectors. 38.9% of jobseekers say a missing salary has stopped them applying.
How many job vacancies are there in the UK?
The ONS estimated 702,000 vacancies for June to August 2026, the lowest level since 2014 outside the pandemic.
Methodology
Get Staffed data comes from 265,648 applications to UK job adverts placed by businesses, charities and schools through the Get Staffed ATS between 1 October 2024 and 8 October 2026.
- Application: one person applying to one job through one job board. Repeat applications to the same job through the same board are removed.
- Applications per advert use completed 42-day campaigns (2,767 adverts over two years). Q3 2026 per-advert figures cover adverts live 1 July to 27 August 2026 (259 adverts), because later adverts were still running. Sector counts for Q3 cover all 610 UK adverts posted from July to September.
- Medians are the headline measure. A few roles receive more than 1,000 applications, which pulls the mean up.
- Job board figures use adverts on standard multi-board packages where the board was included. Adverts that redirect candidates to an employer’s own website, Indeed-only and Indeed-sponsored adverts are excluded.
- Hires combine hires recorded in the ATS with hires reported by employers, matched to the board the candidate applied through: 526 hires from adverts live October 2025 to September 2026. Hire tracking is incomplete, so we report shares, not hire rates.
- Adjusted differences come from a regression on applications per advert that holds sector, salary band, pay basis, location, contract, hours, seniority, quarter and advert length fixed, with 95% confidence intervals clustered by employer. They show associations, not proof of cause.
- Candidate survey: 401 UK jobseekers, June to October 2026. Most respondents had applied for a job advertised through Get Staffed, so they are active job board users.
This report uses a stricter method than our Q1 2026 report (medians, de-duplicated applications and 12 months of hires), so its figures are not directly comparable with that report.
External sources: ONS Labour Market Overview, September 2026; KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs, October 2026; September 2026; Adzuna UK Job Market Report, July 2026 data (reported by Staffing Industry Analysts); Indeed salary transparency data (reported by HR Review, May 2026).
