UK Job Market 2026 Update: Professional hiring rose in Q2 as IT vacancies jumped 42%

In a Nutshell

• Professional hiring across core UK sectors rose between Q1 and Q2 2026, according to job posting data from recruitment firm Robert Half, although most sectors remain below last year’s levels.
• IT recorded the sharpest quarterly increase, with vacancies up 42%, though June volumes were still 20% lower than a year earlier.
• Manufacturing grew on both measures: vacancies rose 18% on the quarter and were up 21% year on year in June.
• Logistics and utilities also grew on both measures, up 24% and 21% respectively on the quarter, and each up 6% year on year in June.

UK professional hiring picked up in the second quarter of 2026, according to job posting data from recruitment firm Robert Half. Vacancies across core professional sectors rose between January to March and April to June, a shift from the caution that marked the start of the year, although annual comparisons remain subdued in most sectors.

UK Job market 2026 quarter 2 in numbers

IT posted the sharpest quarterly rise, with vacancies up 42% between Q1 and Q2. The sector is still recovering ground: June volumes were 20% below the same month last year.

Manufacturing was one of only a handful of sectors to grow on both measures. Vacancies rose 18% between Q1 and Q2 and were up 21% year on year in June, which points to more sustained demand for talent in the sector.

Logistics and utilities followed the same pattern. Logistics vacancies rose 24% between Q1 and Q2 and utilities rose 21%, with both sectors recording 6% year-on-year growth in June.

What Robert Half says

Phil Boden, Market Director at Robert Half, said the quarterly data points to a more resilient recruitment market than earlier in the year. “Employers continue to navigate economic uncertainty, but increased hiring activity across a number of sectors suggests demand for talent remains present where organisations have critical skills needs.”

He called the rise in IT vacancies particularly notable, while noting that activity remains below last year’s levels.

Reading the data

The figures come from Robert Half’s proprietary job posting data, so they cover the roles the firm tracks, a slice of the labour market, and a recruiter has an interest in reporting a recovering market. The pattern of quarterly growth against annual declines suggests hiring is recovering from a weak start to the year and remains some way short of 2025 volumes. For teams planning recruitment or retention work in the second half, the useful signal is where demand is concentrating: technology, manufacturing, logistics and utilities are the sectors where competition for talent is picking up first.