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UK graduate vacancies slump
In the United Kingdom, graduate job vacancies fell to 8,383 jobs advertised in July, down from 15,397 at the same point last year, according to Adzuna figures cited by the BBC.
“just 8,383 graduate vacancies listed in July, down from 15,397 at the same point last year”
The BBC reported that competition rose as the average number of job seekers per vacancy reached 2.14 in July, up from 1.93 a year earlier.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said the figures show "employers still haven't found a reason to open up hiring" for recent graduates.
The BBC also tied the decline to employers cutting entry-level roles in favour of AI and to rising costs, including national insurance and minimum wage changes that businesses said made hiring more expensive, particularly for junior staff.
Costs, AI, and youth unemployment
The BBC said the number of graduate vacancies listed hit its lowest level since Adzuna started recording such data in 2016, with a peak for graduate roles in 2017 when it had more than 55,800 listed.
Official figures cited by the BBC showed the UK's youth unemployment rate covering 16-to-24-year-olds was 16.2% in the three months to March 2026, and the number of Neet young people was "over one million."
The BBC reported that businesses said employer national insurance and minimum wage hikes have made hiring more expensive, particularly for junior staff.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently changed the rules for public contracts so that companies bidding for them have to show how they will create jobs and training opportunities, while the BBC also noted that vacancies for travel, teaching and construction rose in recent weeks and that healthcare, nursing, hospitality and logistics posted fewer vacancies.
Shift toward trades and skills
In parallel with the graduate-job squeeze, AOL.co.uk reported that young people are increasingly interested in "AI-proof" trade jobs while employers place more weight on interpersonal skills, with Checkatrade chief executive Jambu Palaniappan saying tradespeople are typically older and that "there is clearly more openness to pursuing skills-based and vocational training and apprenticeships".
“"AI-proof" trade jobs”
AOL.co.uk said Checkatrade's survey found 48% of young people aged between 16 and 25 were considering a trade career, while 12% of trade businesses took on an apprentice last year.
AOL.co.uk also reported that 80% of young people said AI has made them worried about office-based job security, and it quoted Palaniappan saying the country has "a really acute trade shortage".
The article added that Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled plans for new technical education routes for 14-year-olds, including manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences and construction, and that recruitment agency Hays said it was prioritising specialisms including construction and property, engineering and life sciences.