The job market for entry-level workers in the UK hasn't been this tough in years

Graduate job postings in the UK hit their lowest levels in a decade, said job-matching platform Adzuna.

Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images UK graduate job vacancies fell 45.6% in July, hitting their lowest since April 2016.

Adzuna reports a decline in entry-level jobs, with increased competition for fewer openings.

AI and economic challenges are reshaping entry-level opportunities, impacting graduate roles.

The UK job market is looking grim for people fresh out of university.

According to the latest UK Job Market Report from job-matching platform Adzuna, the company's index — which aggregates online listings from more than 1,000 sources — counted an average of 8,383 live UK graduate vacancies in July.

That's down 45.6% from July 2025 and the lowest level since Adzuna launched the monthly series in April 2016.

The figure has collapsed from more than 55,000 at its mid-2017 peak.

Are you a recent graduate getting creative as you try to land a job in this job market? Get in touch with this reporter to share your story: [email protected].

Adzuna's broader entry-level category was less stark but still weak, falling 8.1% year over year.

Across the market, vacancies also declined, while competition for each opening increased.

"July's numbers are a step backwards, not a blip," Andrew Hunter, Adzuna's cofounder, said in a press release on Monday.

"We'd been watching things improve gradually for months, but that stopped in July.

The graduate job market also keeps setting new lows, which tells us employers still haven't found a reason to open up hiring at that level." Findings from Indeed also point to a decline in listings, albeit a less dramatic one.