The Big Picture
It will surprise nobody to hear the employment market has been tough for a while now. The headwinds are well known: geopolitical instability, high inflation and low growth, a large budget deficit, cautious business outlook, increased costs of hiring – the list could go on.
Despite this, the UK economy’s performance has been much like a mid-range pillow: soft, but not quite down. Growth has been less disappointing than anticipated[1][2], and it appears reports of the UK’s productivity death were greatly exaggerated.[3][4]
Similarly, there are signs of life in the job market – the latest REC/KPMG report highlights a rise in permanent placements (the first since Sep 2022), while temp billings marked a fifth consecutive month of growth.[5]
Nevertheless, a big picture view always obscures nuance. Different sectors face different challenges and opportunities, which don’t always sit neatly in a macro summary.
This article is an attempt to look beyond the headlines and answer the question: “how are the sectors that we serve faring?”
A note on methodology
To assess employment dynamics in each sector, we have primarily used vacancy rates as reported by the ONS, with a few exceptions set out below.
Briefly, the vacancy rate is the number of unfilled job vacancies divided by total jobs (both filled and unfilled). A high vacancy rate indicates a tight labour market, where job vacancies are abundant relative to people. Conversely, a low vacancy rate means lower demand for staff. Vacancy rate is therefore one of the clearest barometers for how employer demand stacks up against employee availability. (As of September 2026, the ONS has updated its method and now calls this measure the “job openings rate”; we’ve stuck with the more familiar term.)[6]
By way of reference, across the UK economy it stood at 2.1% for Jun–Aug 2026, down from a peak of 4.0% in 2022 and, pandemic aside, the lowest since early 2014.[6]
In looking at specific sectors, it’s important to note that each has its own dynamic: some run hot, others cold. For example, the Accommodation & Food Services sector is typified by a high vacancy rate due to seasonality, a high proportion of temp roles, and close proximity to the charms of the British public.
Because of this, we’ve compared each sector with its own history, which gives a better understanding of where things are versus the norm. We’ve used the full data series (2001-2026) to benchmark this, capturing everything from the pre-2008 boom, to the financial crisis and recovery, Brexit, pandemic and post-pandemic hiring surge.
Not every sector we serve maps neatly onto ONS categories:
Education, financial services and manufacturing have categories of their own, though design does not.
Membership bodies and consulting are measured through broader categories (other service activities, and professional, scientific & technical activities respectively). Their figures are better read as a backdrop than as a direct measure.
Non-profits don’t form a separate ONS sector, so we’ve used the DfE’s Employer Skills Survey instead.[7]
Media and publishing would fall under information & communication, which is dominated by telecoms and IT. We’ve used Indeed’s job postings data instead, measured against pre-pandemic levels rather than a long-run average.[8]
Throughout, we’ve drawn on other sources, from recruiter and employer surveys to industry bodies, wherever the official data runs thin.
Data from ONS,[6] except non-profits, which do not form their own sector in ONS data (DfE data[7] is used to estimate a vacancy rate, though it isn’t directly comparable with ONS figures), and media & publishing, which uses Indeed’s job postings index[8] because the nearest ONS category is a poor fit.
Beyond the Headlines: Education
Sentiment
The education sector is not in the happiest of places at the moment. Financial pressures are affecting many schools and colleges, with universities in particular being hit hard.
For higher education institutions, visa restrictions affecting international student numbers have had a big impact on budgets. Adding this into an environment of rising costs and eight years of frozen domestic tuition fees means many are now struggling: over 40% forecast a deficit for 2025/26, while nearly a quarter incurred restructuring costs last year (such as voluntary redundancy schemes).[9]
Schools, meanwhile, face a different squeeze. Pupil numbers have been falling, and as the majority of funding is allocated per pupil, budgets have shrunk – a trend set to continue.[10]
Unsurprisingly, these dynamics have fostered a sense of gloom for many working in education – already a sector where few can be accused of being underworked and overpaid.
Job market dynamics
At 1.5%, education has the lowest vacancy rate of any sector in the ONS dataset, and recorded the second-largest quarterly fall in vacancy numbers (down 9.7%) of any sector.[6] Pandemic aside, that matches its lowest level since 2013 and sits far below its long-run norm.
While low vacancy rates are partly structural – education has run below the economy-wide average every year since 2010 – the current dip is a real reflection of the pressures discussed above.
In schools, official workforce data adds nuance to the picture. It’s true that demand for teaching staff has fallen, with vacancies over 40% lower since 2023/24 (from 2,800 to 1,600)[11]. However, overall headcount has actually remained fairly steady – only declining by 0.5% since the 2023/24 peak – with the low vacancy rate partially explained by fewer teachers leaving.[11] The data tells a different story for support staff. Full-time equivalent support staff now exceed FTE teachers by ~52,000 – the widest margin in a decade. Additionally (and interestingly), this support work is being done by fewer people,[11] highlighting a consolidation of work into fewer, longer hour roles.
In higher education, the picture is one of a tightening job market. HESA’s latest figures show academic staff numbers falling for the first time since 2014/15, down by around 2,200.[12] Underneath that is a changing composition of employment types: fixed-term contracts accounted for around 85% of the fall, while teaching-only posts fell by 4%.[12] ONS occupational data supports that trend; university staff on temporary contracts fell from 31,000 in 2023 to under 20,000 in March 2026.[13]
There is a clear focus from universities on protecting their permanent core staff, while cutting back on contract roles. As this is often the entry point for early-career academics, they are likely to be finding today’s job market the hardest.
On a positive note, for the first time since Autumn 2024 more non-compulsory education employers expect headcount to increase than decrease over Q4.[14][15] Though given the budgetary pressures, we’re unsure whether this heralds new, sunlit uplands for hiring in the sector.
Beyond the Headlines: Non-profit
Sentiment
In what will no doubt feel like a familiar entreaty for a sector where spending is highly scrutinised, non-profits are being asked to do more with less.
The latest accounts data shows that two in five charities spent more than they received[16], with smaller charities bearing the brunt of the struggles. In keeping with the experience of households and organisations throughout the UK, ever-rising costs present another challenge. The rise in National Living Wage in April and last year’s employer NI increases have had a particular impact on budgets – making it more expensive to hire and retain staff.
Meanwhile demand for services shows no let-up: 83% of charity leaders reported rising demand in Charities Aid Foundation’s latest survey, and 86% expect it to grow further.[17]
Despite these impediments, the ever-resourceful third sector appears to be holding up resiliently: CIPD’s summer survey found the voluntary sector to have the strongest employment intentions of any sector, well ahead of the private and public sectors.[14]
Job market dynamics
With no ONS series for charities, the DfE’s Employer Skills Survey is our closest guide. Unfortunately, it is difficult to directly compare the two datasets for two reasons: i) the latest DfE data is from 2024, and ii) the methodologies are different.
Nevertheless, the vacancy rate for charities appears to be broadly in line with what we can see in the economy-wide ONS data: namely, that hiring demand has been on a downward trajectory since the highs of the post-COVID recovery.
Somewhat more up-to-date (though sample size-limited) data from TPP Recruitment shows advertised roles in Q1 2026 were materially lower than a year earlier, along with applications to vacancies – which were down 58% from Q1 2025.[18] Interestingly, supply of permanent and temporary staff appears to be moving in different directions: while permanent candidate availability was down 14% quarter-on-quarter, temporary availability was up 10% – perhaps signalling a preference for (or acceptance of) flexible work, and/or a migration of permanent staff towards other sectors.[18]
While the non-profit job market has had a rough ride recently, things may be improving. Charities are twice as bullish on hiring intentions as the wider economy. With supply of perm staff tightening, and budgetary pressures restricting the ability to attract via increased starting salaries, we may see a greater emphasis on temporary staffing in the non-profit sector.
Beyond the Headlines: Financial Services
Sentiment
Financial services remains an outsized presence in the UK economy, accounting for about 11% of output last year.[19] Last year was tough for hiring in the sector, being only the second time since the financial crisis that vacancies had fallen – the other year of contraction was 2020[20], which is fairly ignominious company to keep. There is some evidence though that the tide is turning, albeit non-uniformly.
KPMG’s latest sentiment survey found more than half of financial services firms expecting to increase headcount in 2026, with AI skills the shiny new toy on the wish list.[20] This may be cold comfort to those on the junior end of the career ladder, however: Bloomberg’s analysis of job board data found London finance analyst vacancies had fallen to around 80, from more than 350 four years earlier.[21] With AI tools increasingly excelling with spreadsheets, it’s likely we won’t see a reversal of this trend.
Overall, sentiment appears to be cautious. ICAEW’s spring survey found banking, finance and insurance among the least pessimistic sectors. (Faint praise, given that eight of the nine sectors surveyed were in negative territory, but praise nonetheless.)[22] However, that burst of not-quite-optimism may have already flipped, given the CBI’s quarterly survey recorded a collapse in sentiment from +31% in March to -34% in June[23], perhaps somewhat influenced by jitters around a prospective windfall tax on banks.[24]
Job market dynamics
Despite somewhat guarded sentiment, hiring in financial services is proving resilient. Headcount has risen in Q1 and Q2, and firms expect more of the same in Q3.[23] And while vacancy rates are down from 3% a year ago, at 2.8% the sector still has one of the highest rates in the economy, running only slightly below its long-run norm.[6]
KPMG/REC data points the same way: accounting and financial roles were one of only two categories to see rising demand for permanent staff in August.[5]
The more interesting story lies underneath. As noted, the composition of hires is changing. Firms are competing for technology, data and AI talent, while automation is cannibalising the routine analytical work traditionally given to juniors. For experienced candidates with technical skills, this is a relatively propitious job market; much less so for those trying to get a foot in the door. The wider question of what this means for the traditional talent pipeline will only be answered with time.
Beyond the Headlines: Design & Manufacturing
Sentiment
Earlier in the year it looked like Design & Manufacturing had been caught right between the eyes by the US-Iran war. With energy costs spiking and supply routes disrupted, confidence had fallen to a four-year low by June.[25] Since then, the mood has lifted considerably.
It seems UK manufacturing is now feeling more sanguine about things – confidence has risen for the first time in 18 months[26], while the latest PMI survey found the most upbeat growth outlook since February.[27] New projects beginning, higher investment in productive capacity, electricity bill cuts arriving next year, and record defence spending with UK industry were some of the factors threatening manufacturers with a good time.[27][28][29] Costs remain a concern, but the overall picture is a positive one.
Design meanwhile is harder to assess, not least because designers operate cross-sectorally. Nonetheless, using the creative industries more broadly as a proxy, the most recent sentiment data presents a more circumspect attitude than that of manufacturing. A census of over 4,000 creative industries professionals found that 59% felt burnt out, 32% had redundancy fears, and 65% said their career path was unclear.[30] With salaries stalling and hiring largely restricted to essential hires, there is a tangibly gloomy feeling.
Job market dynamics
At 2.0%, manufacturing’s vacancy rate bestrides its long-run average and is the only one of our sectors not running below par.[6] Online job adverts point the same way: Adzuna found July manufacturing vacancies up 2.2% versus a year earlier – the sector’s first annual rise this year, compared with a nearly 10% YoY fall in UK-wide vacancies.[31]
The hiring picture beneath that is more mixed. The PMI survey saw a sixth consecutive month of hiring in manufacturing[27], while Make UK reported firms were holding back on hiring volumes[26], which perhaps reflects that what confidence there is within the sector is distributed unevenly.
For design, much like finance, there are clear dividing lines in the recruitment data. Technical design skills feature prominently among the REC’s skills in short supply, while creative and UI/UX specialists appear among those in excess supply.[5] Yet despite this apparent need for technical proficiency, many employers don’t seem to be investing in upskilling – with less than 20% of employees in creative industries receiving any technical training last year.[30]
Beyond the Headlines: Membership Associations & Professional Bodies
Sentiment
Membership associations and professional bodies are slightly chimeric creatures, with no two exactly alike. They occupy a unique position in the economy: part charity, part commercial, and to differing extents advocacy group, research body, standard setter and community group. In the majority of cases, their fortunes are dependent on members continuing to see the value in their annual subscription.
On that front, the news is reasonably encouraging. MemberWise’s benchmarking of the UK’s 100 largest membership bodies found overall membership numbers rising.[32] But while there is an evident robustness to the largest organisations in the sector, the challenges faced echo those in the wider economy. Costs are rising, margins are tightening, and the wider business environment motivates caution over champagne. The report concludes that subscription fees will need to rise, and that more emphasis will be needed on delivering member value to smooth the path for those rises.[32] Given member retention is consistently reported as the principal challenge facing the sector,[33] this will be something of a tightrope walk.
Job market dynamics
Membership associations and professional bodies don’t have their own ONS category, so we have used “other service activities” as a rough proxy, while employing other data points to get a better understanding of the market dynamics.
With the caveat that the “other service activities” category is the loosest fit of any sector covered here, the ONS vacancy rate stands at 2.0% – well below its long-run norm, and the second weakest of our sectors on that measure.[6] Like much of the wider economy, here the flurry of the post-pandemic recovery has made way for a slow-release puncture, with vacancy rates trending downwards since 2021.
Membership bodies draw on similar talent pools to non-profits and professional services. They tend to compete with private sector employers more for commercial, finance and digital roles, and with non-profits more for policy, governance and engagement roles. By looking to these areas, we can tentatively triangulate the job market dynamics in this subsector.
Despite having a tough start to the year with declining vacancy numbers,[18] non-profits reported much stronger hiring intentions for the coming quarter than the rest of the economy.[14] As a result, membership bodies may find greater competition for policy, governance and engagement roles than hitherto.
In contrast, private sector employers are less inclined to recruit than at any point since 2016 (pandemic aside)[14], while both the financial services and professional, scientific and technical services sectors have recorded over 10% YoY declines in vacancies.[6] Taken together, the implication is that membership bodies face less competition for commercial, finance and digital roles than before, presenting a real opportunity to pick up talent in these areas.
Beyond the Headlines: Consulting
Sentiment
Consulting enters Q4 in a slightly puzzling position – fee income is growing, there’s a decent amount of confidence in the sector, and partner earnings remain extremely strong; yet jobs have been scythed, share prices have collapsed in the biggest listed consultancies[34][35], and the spectre of AI competition looms large.
Recent news items on the key UK consultancies centre on job losses, with KPMG’s UK operations cutting more than 500 roles[36] – further pushing UK headcount down to around 1,200 fewer staff than its pandemic peak[37]. PwC recorded its first revenue decline in 20 years, cutting EMEA jobs by 4,000 (around 12%),[38] while Deloitte shed 1,000 staff in the 12 months to May.[39]
These cuts seem to be mirrored in the recruitment data too: Bloomberg’s analysis of job board postings highlighted a decline of around 80% in London management consultant vacancies.[21]
Yet, there are more sources for cautious optimism than the above would suggest. The Management Consultancies Association expects fee income to increase by 6% this year and 8% next year, export growth rates tripled YoY, and graduate hiring is up 10%.[40][41] Even job cuts can be cast in a different light: one could interpret them as an expected correction to the sector’s rapid hiring growth around the pandemic years. (In any case, those cuts have strengthened profits[38][39], which may help salve the morale-dampening effect of barren office spaces.) Moreover, the worries over AI – which have particularly affected IT consultancies – appear to be opening the door for smaller, more agile challenger firms to carve out a toehold.[42]
Overall, sales momentum seems to be providing a source of confidence,[40] which makes consulting something of an outlier among the wider business services sector – where sentiment was lowest among all sectors surveyed in ICAEW’s latest report.[22] Overall, the mood appears resilient, and we suspect consultants will collectively back themselves to overcome any hurdles.
Job market dynamics
Consulting has no ONS category of its own. It sits within professional, scientific and technical activities, which is a pretty roomy category including everything from legal to R&D to veterinary services. Therefore, the vacancy rate data here offers more of a backdrop than direct insight. With that in mind, the wider sector’s vacancy rate stands at 2.2%, which is the lowest since 2013 (pandemic aside) and well below the average.[6]
Amid this weaker employer demand, jobs growth appears to be shifting towards self-employment in the wider sector. While 51,000 jobs were added in the year to June 2026, nearly three quarters of those were self-employed roles.[6] Whether the relative lack of vacancies is a causal factor in this trend, part of a wider structural shift, or simply a coincidence is not something we can know given available data.
Against this backdrop, consulting-specific data is patchier but seems to point the opposite way. Despite a Consultancy.uk article (quoting ONS data) highlighting a 56% rise in independent consultants over 2023-24[43], more recent evidence suggests a reversal of this trend: the ONS population survey finds the share of independent management consultants has declined from 22.7% in 2024 to 15.4% in 2026.[13] The same data shows a broad stability in total job numbers since 2023.
Taken together, the evidence suggests a sector keeping its headcount steady, caught between the opposing forces of solid financial performance and caution regarding the future. While there is some recalibration among bigger firms following their post-pandemic hiring sprees, consulting is far from a sector in retreat.
Beyond the Headlines: Media & Publishing
Sentiment
Media and publishing is a sector containing multitudes.
Book and journal publishing is enjoying a surprise golden age: UK publishers reported record revenue of £7.4bn last year, with digital sales up 7% and exports continuing to grow.[44] This is part of a much larger trend, with total revenues up 68% in the last decade.[44][45]
In contrast, news publishing is experiencing something more akin to a bronze age, in that a sudden collapse seems to be unfolding. Amidst a backdrop of legacy news media fighting to maintain profitability in the face of behavioural shifts and social media encroachment, there is now a new threat to contend with.
The evidence suggests AI summaries are already diverting significant traffic from major news outlets. Reach (publisher of the Mirror and Express) reported a 55% drop in Google referrals in the first half of the year,[46] while an independent analysis of UK news outlets found that for certain searches, click-through rates can fall by 35-60% when an AI summary appears.[47] The recent CMA ruling granting publishers the ‘right to opt out’ of AI summarising should hopefully alleviate some pressure,[48] but structural challenges very much remain for news media.
Zooming out, the advertising market, which funds much of the sector, looks healthy on the surface. UK advertising investment rose 9.3% year-on-year in Q1 and is forecast to grow by 8.2% this year and 5.9% next.[49] Advertiser sentiment is strong too, with marketing budgets revised up in the second quarter.[50] The catch is where the money is going. Growth was led by social media (up 18%), retail media (18%) and search (10%), which on its own takes around £4 in every £10 spent. Meanwhile, spend on news and magazine brands fell by 6% and is forecast to fall again this year, and TV was broadly flat.[49] In other words, a buoyant advertising market isn’t the same as a buoyant media sector: much of the windfall is going to tech platforms and retailers rather than to the publishers and broadcasters who employ most of the UK’s media workforce.
Job market dynamics
Media and publishing has no ONS category of its own. The nearest category – information and communication – is dominated by telcos and IT, which aren’t necessarily reflective of media and publishing. Therefore, we have turned to other sources for insight into the job market dynamics.
As far as vacancies go, Indeed’s data shows postings for media and communications roles down 16% on a year ago.[8] This is almost twice the decline across all UK jobs (9%), and leaves job postings around 55% below the pre-pandemic level. And while it’s worth noting that Indeed’s data is role-based rather than sector-based, other sources seem to support a contracting job market in media and publishing.
Cuts have been deep and widespread within news. Alongside Reach cutting over 300 roles,[51] the BBC plans to cut around 2,000 jobs (about 10% of staff) and Channel 4 has announced intentions to cut more than a quarter of its workforce by the end of the year.[52] While this may be expected given the parlous environment news organisations find themselves in, it seems jobs are being scythed in better performing verticals too. Despite the record revenues in book publishing, and their own 154% profit increase, Bloomsbury are cutting 55 roles as part of a restructure.[53]
The ONS’s business survey offers a longer, though less up to date, view. This dataset suggests book publishing employment remaining flat over 2019-24[54], while revenues rose from £6.3bn to £7.2bn.[55] The same data shows the sector’s main area of growth has been film and TV, where employment rose by nearly 50% between 2015-24.[54] However, that too may be stalling now, given spend on new UK film and high-end TV productions fell by around 16% in the first half of 2026.[56]
Stitching together these sources into an overall picture, it looks like the positive commercial momentum isn’t translating into jobs. Where the wider environment is challenging, as in news publishing, job cuts aren’t surprising. However, it also seems employment isn’t forthcoming even in the sector’s bright spots. Unfortunately, it’s far from the only sector where one would currently rather be a shareholder than a professional.
Summary
Manufacturing is the only one of our sectors where vacancies are running at their long-run norm. Financial services is holding up well for experienced technical talent, and charities report the strongest hiring intentions of any sector. Elsewhere, demand is running below par, though for different reasons. If there’s a common thread, it’s that hiring is selective rather than absent: specialist and technical skills remain sought after, while early-career candidates and routine roles are feeling the squeeze. For employers, that makes this a good moment to hire well. For candidates, it rewards being clear about where, and how, they fit.
Education: the bottom line
Education faces a financial squeeze on two fronts: falling pupil numbers in schools, and lost international student income in universities. Its vacancy rate is the lowest of any sector. Yet, despite headlines, this is less a story of mass job losses than of a workforce being stretched further. In schools, support staff hours have held up even as their numbers have fallen, so the same work is being done by fewer people. Meanwhile, many universities are restructuring to shore up their finances.
For employers: with support work concentrated in fewer, longer-hours roles, retention and workload deserve as much attention as recruitment. Burnout in a stretched team is a cost in itself. When roles do arise, expect healthy candidate pools.
For candidates: opportunities are thinner on the ground, and the roles that do come up are often broader in scope than before, so showing you can cover several areas will help. Being flexible about setting helps too. Skills in finance, operations, IT and student support transfer well between schools, colleges and universities, and hiring intentions in colleges and universities have recently turned positive, albeit cautiously.
Non-profit: the bottom line
Charities are being asked to do more with less: costs are rising, many are spending more than they receive, and demand for their services keeps growing. Even so, the sector reports the strongest hiring intentions of any sector. With permanent candidates becoming scarcer, the balance is tilting slightly towards jobseekers.
For employers: expect permanent hires to take longer. Temporary and interim staff offer a flexible bridge, and where budgets limit pay rises, flexibility, purpose and development will have to do more of the heavy lifting.
For candidates: this is one of the more encouraging markets around. Applications have fallen sharply, which may mean less competition for each role, and temporary work can be a practical route in.
Financial Services: the bottom line
After a difficult 2025, hiring in financial services is proving resilient. Headcount is rising and the vacancy rate is among the highest in the economy, even if sentiment has wobbled. Beneath the surface, though, the mix is changing. Firms are competing hard for technology, data and AI skills, while automation is eroding the routine work traditionally given to juniors.
For employers: expect stiff competition for technical talent, and move quickly when you find it. But think carefully about the junior pipeline: a thinned-out entry level today risks becoming a mid-level shortage tomorrow.
For candidates: experienced professionals with technical skills are in a strong position. Those starting out should lead with demonstrable data and AI skills, and be open to routes in beyond the traditional analyst role.
Design & Manufacturing: the bottom line
Manufacturing has recovered its poise after a bruising first half. Confidence has lifted, and its vacancy rate is sitting right at its long-run average, which is a rare feat at present. Design is more subdued, with burnout and redundancy fears widespread. There is also a clear split between technical design skills, which are in short supply, and creative and UI/UX skills, which are not.
For employers: manufacturing remains one of the steadier hiring markets, so plan ahead for scarce technical skills. Few employers invest in technical training, so those that do may find it gives them a real edge in attracting and keeping talent.
For candidates: manufacturing is a relative bright spot. For designers, adding technical capability to creative strengths is likely to be the surest way to stand out.
Membership Associations & Professional Bodies: the bottom line
The largest membership bodies are proving resilient, with membership numbers rising. But rising costs and tight margins mean subscriptions, and the value members get for them, will come under scrutiny. Vacancies have drifted below their long-run norm, and the picture differs sharply by role.
For employers: with private sector hiring intentions at their lowest in a decade (pandemic aside), this is a good moment to recruit commercial, finance and digital talent. Expect stiffer competition from charities for policy, governance and engagement roles, though.
For candidates: commercial, finance and digital professionals may find membership bodies a welcoming alternative to a cooler private sector. Policy and engagement specialists, meanwhile, are in demand from both membership bodies and charities.
Consulting: the bottom line
Consulting presents a puzzle: fee income, exports and confidence are all growing, yet the largest firms have cut jobs and AI looms large. On balance, the evidence points to a sector holding its headcount steady and recalibrating after its pandemic-era hiring spree, rather than one in retreat. Smaller, more agile firms are also making headway.
For employers: cuts at the largest firms have released experienced talent into the market. That gives mid-sized and challenger consultancies a real opportunity to recruit people they might previously have struggled to attract.
For candidates: the headlines make the market sound worse than it is. Graduate hiring is up, and looking beyond the biggest names to smaller, challenger firms (or more specialist operators) will broaden your prospects.
Media & Publishing: the bottom line
Media and publishing may contain multitudes, but its job market does not. Book and journal publishing is enjoying record revenues and advertising is growing strongly, yet job postings are well below pre-pandemic levels, and cuts have spread to healthy corners of the sector. Much of the advertising growth is going to (comparatively lightly staffed) tech platforms rather than media employers, while AI summaries are eating into legacy media’s traffic.
For employers: cuts across the sector have left an unusually deep pool of experienced editorial, production and commercial talent, so those hiring can afford to be selective. The roles still being created tend to call for editorial judgement combined with digital and audience skills. After successive restructures, a clear sense of stability and direction may count for as much as salary in winning those people over.
For candidates: this is a tough market, and there’s no point pretending otherwise. But editorial, storytelling and communication skills are highly transferable and desirable, both within media and well beyond it, so cast the net wide. Pairing those strengths with digital and commercial know-how will strengthen any application.