May 2026 UK Labour Market Update: Slow Summer Hiring Another Blow for Young Workers
Summer job postings are tracking below prior years, spelling yet fewer avenues for British youth in a tough labour market.
Key points:
Summer job postings are off to their slowest start in years, running almost 30% below 2025 and well below the 2023 peak.
The composition is shifting away from education and sports coaching toward hospitality and customer-facing services.
The overall labour market remains fragile, with decade-high youth unemployment a particular concern.
Our Labour Market Updates examine important trends using Indeed and other labour market data. Our European Labour Market Overview chartbook provides a more comprehensive view of the European labour market. Other data, including the Indeed Wage Tracker, is regularly updated and can be accessed on our data portal.The UK labour market has continued to soften, with the latest official figures showing vacancies dropping to a five-year low, payrolled employment falling and unemployment rising. Youth unemployment is a particular concern, reaching its highest level in more than a decade.
Overall job postings on Indeed have...







