Job Flow Index
Recruitment Statistics - October 2026
Recruitment Overview
October was a month of two halves. Permanent recruitment held firm, with permanent placements up 3% despite fewer permanent jobs coming in, while temp and contract cooled after a strong September.
Total jobs created fell 8% and total placements fell 9%. The drop came mostly from temp and contract, where jobs created fell 12% and placements fell 11%. Temp and contract still accounted for 86% of all placements.
Candidate supply moved the other way. Job adverts fell 6% to their lowest level on our chart, but applications rose 1%.
Key takeaways from October:
- Permanent placements rose 3% to 1,322 even though permanent jobs created fell 3%.
- Professional Services and Technology permanent placements rose 30% and 33% respectively.
- Temp and contract placements fell 11% after September's high, though agencies still made more than one temp and contract placement for every temp and contract job created.
- Applications per advert rose to around 3.6 as advert volumes fell 6% and applications held steady.
- Applications from existing candidates rose 5% to 44,821, the highest since March.
Sector performance was mixed. Permanent placements rose in Professional Services, Technology and Sales & Digital Marketing, while temp and contract placements rose in Finance & Accountancy and Sales & Digital Marketing but eased in the larger temp sectors.
With more candidates applying to fewer adverts, the advantage sits with agencies that can qualify quickly and redeploy the candidates they already know.
The following sections explore how this picture plays out across permanent, temp and contract recruitment, sector performance and candidate activity, highlighting where the trends hold and where they diverge.
Jobs and placements created
The total number of jobs created decreased by 8% in October, while total placements decreased by 9%.
Both figures eased back from September's strong month, with jobs created falling from 11,743 to 10,792 and placements from 10,386 to 9,412.
Permanent
The number of permanent jobs created decreased by 3% in October, while permanent placements increased by 3%.
Permanent placements reached 1,322, the highest since July, and were equivalent to around 27% of the permanent jobs created during the month, up from around a quarter in September.
Temp & Contract
The number of temp and contract jobs created decreased by 12% in October, while temp and contract placements decreased by 11%.
Temp and contract accounted for 86% of all placements during the month, and agencies again made more than one temp and contract placement for every temp and contract job created.
Placements by sector
Professional Services
Permanent placements in Professional Services increased by 30% in October, rising from 242 to 315, the highest since March. This matches the pattern seen in 2025, when permanent placements in the sector peaked in October.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 12% month-on-month, falling from 705 to 623.
Finance & Accountancy
Permanent placements in Finance & Accountancy decreased by 4% in October, falling from 210 to 201.
Temp and contract placements rose from 59 in September to 67 in October, the highest month on the chart for the second month running.
Construction, Trades & Labour
Permanent placements in Construction, Trades & Labour decreased by 15% in October, falling from 156 to 132.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 11% month-on-month, falling from 6,950 to 6,166.
The sector continued to account for the largest share of temp and contract placements, at around three quarters of the total.
Technology
Permanent placements in Technology increased by 33% in October, rising from 73 to 97, the highest since July.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 18% month-on-month, falling from 213 to 175, back to August's level.
Engineering, Manufacturing, FMCG & Warehousing
Permanent placements in Engineering, Manufacturing, FMCG & Warehousing decreased by 9% in October, falling from 114 to 104.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 4%, falling from 356 to 341. This is still the second-highest month on the chart, and a much softer October than in 2025, when the sector saw a sharp dip.
Sales & Digital Marketing
Permanent placements in Sales & Digital Marketing increased by 18% in October, rising from 49 to 58.
Temp and contract placements rose from 15 in September to 18 in October, although volumes remain low compared with other sectors.
Job Adverts
This chart shows the number of new job adverts posted each month across all sectors and platforms. Multiple adverts can be posted per job, but this data indicates the volume of active adverts per month.
The number of job adverts posted decreased by 6% in October, falling from 37,843 to 35,738, the lowest month on the chart.
Total candidate applications rose 1% to 126,989.
More applicants chasing fewer adverts puts more weight on qualification: working out which candidates are realistically available to move, and which roles are most likely to fill.
Application Source
The source of applications for your agency's jobs is a good indicator of the strength of your agency's brand presence and candidate loyalty.
In October, 35% of applications came from existing candidates and 65% came from new candidates.
Applications from existing candidates increased by 5% month-on-month to the highest level since March, while applications from new candidates decreased by 1%.
Applications from re-engaged candidates
86% of applications from re-engaged candidates were generated by Job Alerts in October, while 14% came from Email Campaigns.
Candidate applications from web sources
In October, 54% of applications from web sources were generated by Job Boards and 46% came from agency websites and other sources.
Spec CVs Sent
There were 5% fewer Spec CVs sent in October than in September, falling from 85,913 to 82,016.
Speculative activity remains well above the levels seen through spring and summer, and October is the second-highest month on the chart, suggesting agencies are continuing to invest in business development through the autumn.
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