UK entry-level jobs fall 20% in H1, JobLeads finds

Entry-level job postings fell across all 26 of the UK’s largest entry-level employment markets in the first half (H1) of 2026, research from JobLeads found.

Combined postings across the 26 markets fell by 20% compared with H1 2025, from 57,914 to 46,254.

The average number of entry-level jobs advertised per company also fell by 28%, from 2.13 in H1 2025 to 1.54 in H1 2026.

JobLeads estimated that around 11% more companies were recruiting entry-level workers than a year earlier, but individual employers were advertising fewer positions.

Plymouth recorded the largest decline in entry-level postings, down 41%, followed by Aberdeen at 39%, Swindon at 37%, Milton Keynes at 34% and Warrington at 31%.

London, the UK’s largest entry-level jobs market, recorded an 18% fall in postings, while the number of jobs advertised per company declined by 29%.

Across the four UK nations, entry-level postings fell by 5% overall between H1 2025 and H1 2026.

England recorded a 5% decline and Scotland a 10% fall, while postings increased by 3% in Wales and 21% in Northern Ireland.