Reporting Period: This report covers data from February 2026 and is published as the March 2026 Recruitment Trends Snapshot.
February 2026 reflects a slowdown in recruitment activity following January’s strong rebound. Job postings decreased by -15%, applications fell by -11%, and placements dropped by -18%. Average applications per job edged down to 17 (-1), suggesting slightly reduced competition across the market.
Market sentiment has shifted to Cooling, indicating a pause in the upward momentum seen at the start of the year.
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Monthly Stats (vs January 2026)
- Jobs Posted: -15%
- Applications: -11%
- Average Applications per Job: 17 (-1)
- Placements: -18%
Demand vs Candidate Availability
This section highlights where hiring demand is concentrated and where candidate competition is highest, helping identify areas of imbalance.
The top five industries by jobs posted were:
- Education (29%)
- Health & Nursing (22%)
- Construction (9%)
- Manufacturing (9%)
- IT & Internet (7%)
The industries with the highest average applications per job were:
- Catering & Hospitality (52)
- Retail & Wholesale (48)
- Finance (36)
- Secretarial, PAs & Admin (34)
- Accountancy (31)
Oversupplied Roles: Catering & Hospitality and Retail roles are attracting significantly higher-than-average applications per job, indicating strong candidate competition.
Sustained Demand Sectors: Education and Health & Nursing continue to account for over half of all jobs posted, yet do not feature among the highest application-per-job sectors — suggesting continued talent pressure in these areas.
Key Takeaways
Key insights from March’s recruitment data highlight where demand is rising and where candidate shortages remain most acute.
- Recruitment activity softened across all major metrics compared to January.
- The drop in placements (-18%) suggests hiring cycles may be lengthening or confidence dipping.
- Candidate competition remains high in consumer-facing and commercial sectors such as Hospitality and Retail.
- Core public service sectors — particularly Education and Healthcare — continue to show sustained hiring demand.
