Job Flow Index
Recruitment Statistics - August 2026
Recruitment Overview
August continued the summer trend: placement performance is holding up even as recruiters work with fewer new roles and more candidates.
Job adverts were flat year-on-year, while candidate applications rose considerably. With applications growing faster than adverts, the pressure is shifting towards qualification: which candidates are genuinely available, which roles are realistically fillable, and which opportunities deserve attention first.
Temp and contract remained the engine of placement activity, with every high-volume temp sector ahead of last August. Permanent recruitment also continued to convert despite softer job flow.
Key takeaways from August:
- Total placements were up 10% on August 2025, with temp and contract accounting for 87% of placements.
- Temp and contract jobs created were up 14% year-on-year and 22% year to date.
- Permanent placements year-on-year were up 10% despite permanent jobs created falling 6%.
- Applications from existing candidates were up 35% year-on-year.
- Job adverts were flat while total applications rose 30%.
The month-on-month decline is consistent with the usual August slowdown. Jobs created fell 14%, close to the 13% drop seen over the same period last year, while placements held up better than in August 2025.
For much of the market, the bigger constraint is not candidate volume but qualification and prioritisation. Both permanent and temp placed more than a year ago while overall advertising was virtually unchanged. The opportunity is in qualifying demand early and focusing recruiter time where it is most likely to convert.
The next sections show where that picture holds across perm, temp and contract, sectors and candidate activity, and where it does not.
Jobs and placements created
The total number of jobs created decreased by 14% in August, while total placements decreased by 9%.
Both figures follow the usual August pattern. Jobs created fell 13% over the same period in 2025, so this month's movement tracks the seasonal norm rather than signalling a change in conditions. Placements fell less steeply than they did last August, when the drop was 16%.
The year-on-year picture is where August stands out. Placements were 10% ahead of August 2025 and jobs created were up 5%.
Permanent
The number of permanent jobs created decreased by 17% in August, and permanent placements decreased by 12%.
The year-on-year comparison is the one worth reading. Agencies took on 6% fewer permanent roles than in August 2025, but made 10% more permanent placements. Less permanent work came in, and more of it turned into a fee.
Temp & Contract
The number of temp and contract jobs created decreased by 12% in August, while temp and contract placements decreased by 9%.
Year-on-year, temp and contract jobs created were up 14% and placements up 10%. Temp and contract accounted for 87% of all placements during the month, and agencies 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 decreased by 6% in August.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 17% month-on-month, but were 5% ahead of August 2025.
Finance & Accountancy
Permanent placements in Finance & Accountancy decreased by 20% in August.
Temp and contract placements rose from 44 in July to 48 in August.
Construction, Trades & Labour
Permanent placements in Construction, Trades & Labour decreased slightly, falling from 132 in July to 124 in August.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 8% month-on-month, falling from 7,308 to 6,699, but were 12% ahead of August 2025.
The sector continued to account for the largest share of temp and contract placements and has been ahead year on year in every month of 2026, up 12% year to date.
Technology
Permanent placements in Technology decreased by 34% in August.
Temp and contract placements decreased by 12% month-on-month, but were 13% ahead of August 2025.
Engineering, Manufacturing, FMCG & Warehousing
Permanent placements in Engineering, Manufacturing, FMCG & Warehousing decreased by 25% in August.
Temp and contract placements increased by 19%, making this the strongest sector movement of the month. Placements were also well ahead of August 2025, rising from 161 to 294, pointing to continued demand across operational and industrial hiring.
Sales & Digital Marketing
Permanent placements in Sales & Digital Marketing decreased by 34% in August.
Temp and contract placements rose from 5 in July to 14 in August, 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 was broadly flat in August, down by less than 1% on July.
Compared with August 2025, adverts were up 1% while total candidate applications were 30% higher. That works out at 3.3 applications per advert, up from 2.6 last August.
An extra applicant per advert reads like a gain, but it arrives as more reading. Time that used to go on generating applications now goes on working out who in the pile is realistically available to move, and which of the roles being shortlisted for will still be open in a month.
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 August, 33% of applications came from existing candidates and 67% came from new candidates.
Applications from existing candidates decreased by 2% month-on-month, while applications from new candidates decreased by 3%. Year-on-year, applications from existing candidates were up 35%.
Applications from re-engaged candidates
90% of applications from re-engaged candidates were generated by Job Alerts in August, while 10% came from Email Campaigns.
Candidate applications from web sources
In August, 48% of applications from web sources were generated by Job Boards and 52% came from agency websites and other sources.
Job Board applications decreased by 6% month-on-month, while website and other-source applications remained broadly flat.
Spec CVs Sent
There were 6% fewer Spec CVs sent in August than in July.
Speculative activity eased alongside the seasonal slowdown in job flow. With permanent conversion running ahead of last August, proactive outreach continues to be a route into the clients most likely to follow through on a hire.
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