How many job vacancies are there in the UK?

The ONS estimated 702,000 vacancies in the UK in June to August 2026, down 8,000 on the previous quarter, in the release of 15 September 2026. Outside the pandemic, the ONS says vacancies were last this low in August to October 2014.

The figure comes from the ONS Vacancy Survey of businesses and is published monthly in the Vacancies and jobs in the UK bulletin, with breakdowns by industry and business size. Vacancies averaged more than 1.2 million across 2022.

Vacancies are reported by employers, not counted from job adverts, so they differ from online job listing figures. The ratio of unemployed people per vacancy is a useful context measure and is in the same release.

Official sources: ONS: Vacancies and jobs in the UK · ONS: Labour market overview

The latest figure

The newest value is at Office for National Statistics (ONS). More on it: UK job vacancies.

When is the next figure out?

Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am, in the ONS labour market release; next release 20 October 2026

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Payrolled employees (PAYE RTI)
  The count of employees paid through HMRC's PAYE system, published monthly from Real Time Information. It covers employees only, not the self-employed.
• ILO unemployment
  The internationally agreed definition of unemployment: people without a job who have looked for work in the past four weeks and can start within two weeks.
• Rolling average
  An average recalculated each period over a fixed window, such as the latest three months or twelve months, to smooth out short-term ups and downs.
• Seasonally adjusted
  Figures that have had regular calendar patterns removed, such as Christmas shopping or summer jobs, so that underlying movements between months or quarters can be seen.
• Provisional figures
  Early estimates published before all data are in, so users get timely figures. They are expected to be updated when later data arrive.
• Revisions
  Changes to previously published figures, made when more complete data, improved methods or updated seasonal factors become available. A normal part of official statistics.

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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about work, pay and employment: all Work, pay and employment questions.