Graduate roles see record decline

The number of job vacancies has increased for four months in a row to almost 800,000 but there has been a steep decline in graduate roles, according to research.

Jobs site Adzuna said graduate vacancies fell by more than 40% in May compared to a year ago, down to around 8,400.

It was the steepest decline on record, said the jobs site.

There were big increases in job vacancies for domestic help and cleaning as well in teaching, construction and travel, according to the study.

Warehouse work remained the most searched-for role on Adzuna in May, followed by lorry drivers and cleaners.

Andrew Hunter, of Adzuna, said: “May’s figures confirm what we’ve been hinting at for months – this is now a genuine, sustained recovery, not a blip.

“But that recovery is narrow, driven by a handful of sectors like teaching, trade and construction, and domestic help and cleaning, while areas like healthcare, hospitality and logistics are still shrinking fast.

“For graduates, the picture is getting worse, not better – vacancies are down over 40% on last year, the steepest fall we’ve recorded.”

Published: 29/06/2026 by Radio NewsHub