TL;DR
Not yet. UK job postings hit 10,463 in the week of 28 Sep-5 Oct 2026 - the first above-baseline reading in 19 tracking weeks. The following week (5-12 Oct), they fell to 7,908 (-24.5% WoW), back to 22.5% below the June 2026 baseline. The overall market remains strong: 8 of 10 countries are above baseline, and the total is +10.7% vs June. The UK is one of only two countries still below its June level.
What the data shows week by week
MORT tracks new job postings weekly from company ATS platforms - Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, SmartRecruiters, and others. These are roles posted directly on company career sites, counted when they first appear in the feed. The data covers a 7-day rolling window and is not smoothed or seasonally adjusted.
For 19 consecutive weeks from the June 2026 baseline, UK postings stayed below the 10,207 starting level. The lowest point came in W37 (31 Aug-7 Sep): just 5,344 UK listings, -47.6% below baseline. Then the market began recovering: W38 (7,134), W39 (8,039), W40 (7,095), W41 (10,463).
W41 (28 Sep-5 Oct) was the milestone: 10,463 UK listings, 2.5% above the June baseline. The first time in 19 tracking weeks.
The W41 analysis flagged a caution: a similar large WoW spike in W35 (+52.4%) had reversed completely in W36 (-28.3%). W42 followed the same pattern.
The reversal: W42 data (5-12 Oct 2026)
In the week of 5-12 Oct 2026, UK postings fell to 7,908 - a 24.5% weekly drop from the W41 milestone. That puts the UK back at -22.5% below the June baseline, erasing the single above-baseline week entirely.
This is not a data anomaly. The full-feed country totals are computed independently of the 1,000-job sample used for role categories and salary disclosure. UK's 7,908 is a direct count of all UK-tagged postings from company ATS feeds in that 7-day window.
| Week | UK postings | WoW change | vs June baseline (10,207) |
|---|---|---|---|
| W37 (31 Aug-7 Sep) | 5,344 | -13.8% | -47.6% ← all-time low |
| W38 (7-14 Sep) | 7,134 | +33.5% | -30.1% |
| W39 (14-21 Sep) | 8,039 | +12.7% | -21.2% |
| W40 (21-28 Sep) | 7,095 | -11.7% | -30.5% |
| W41 (28 Sep-5 Oct) | 10,463 | +47.5% | +2.5% ← first above baseline |
| W42 (5-12 Oct) | 7,908 | -24.5% | -22.5% |
Full-feed UK country totals. Baseline: W26 (17-24 Jun 2026) = 10,207 UK listings. These are new postings appearing in the 7-day window, not cumulative open roles.
How the UK compares to the rest of the market
The overall market is not in trouble. MORT's full-feed total for 5-12 Oct 2026 is 113,122 new listings - 10.7% above the June 2026 baseline, and only 2.4% below last week's all-time high (115,956). The slight weekly pullback after a record week is not unusual.
Eight of ten tracked countries are above their June 2026 baselines. The UK is one of only two exceptions.
| Country | W42 (5-12 Oct) | WoW | vs June baseline |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 55,071 | -2.0% | +19.8% |
| Canada | 4,220 | -0.9% | +23.9% |
| Spain | 1,679 | +17.6% | +21.4% |
| Ireland | 748 | -10.0% | +17.1% |
| France | 4,416 | +2.0% | +7.9% |
| Australia | 1,637 | +0.7% | +6.7% |
| Netherlands | 2,160 | -8.1% | +4.8% |
| India | 3,227 | +14.3% | +8.4% |
| Germany | 4,288 | +5.4% | -11.6% |
| United Kingdom | 7,908 | -24.5% | -22.5% |
Full-feed counts from MORT's ATS feed, 7-day window ending 12 Oct 2026. Baseline: W26 (17-24 Jun 2026). Remote listings: 25,953 (+16.5% vs baseline). LinkedIn source = 0 for the 8th consecutive week (persistent feed issue, not a market signal). All figures are new postings in the 7-day window.
What the KPMG/REC report says - and why it doesn't contradict this
The KPMG/REC Report on Jobs for October 2026 (released 8 October, covering September activity) showed the permanent placements index at 50.9 - the strongest reading in four years. This sounds like it contradicts the MORT data. It does not.
The two metrics measure different things. The KPMG/REC index measures completed permanent placements by staffing and recruitment agencies: hires that already happened through a recruiter. MORT's data measures job postings appearing on company career pages: employer intent to hire in the near future.
A market where staffing agencies are placing candidates at a four-year high while direct job postings are below baseline is consistent. Companies can fill roles through recruiters (who tap existing candidate databases) without posting publicly to their ATS. The KPMG/REC data is good news for active job seekers working with recruiters; the MORT ATS data reflects the direct-to-employer channel.
The ONS Labour Market Overview tells a more cautious story. Payrolled employees fell 101,000 year-on-year from July 2025 to July 2026, with an early estimate showing a further 26,000 fall in August 2026. Payroll data is a lagging indicator - it measures employment that has already happened, typically two months behind - but the direction is consistent with a market that is still finding its floor rather than recovering strongly.
What this means for UK job seekers
The data points to a two-speed market in the UK. Recruitment agencies are busy (KPMG/REC placement index at a four-year high), while direct company job postings are still below June 2026 levels. For job seekers, that means two things:
First, maintaining active contact with recruiters matters more in the current UK market than in markets where direct postings are growing strongly. The KPMG/REC data suggests agencies are making placements even when employers are not posting widely.
Second, the roles that are being posted directly to company ATS platforms are worth finding quickly. Employers posting to their own career pages in a market with lower overall volume tend to be more active hires. MORT is an AI job-matching platform that scans thousands of company career pages, scores every job 0-100% for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored CV for each application - so you can move quickly on the roles that are a real fit.
The US salary data for this week (USD, n=118): $85,000-$100,000/yr median posted range. The W42 sample is heavily contaminated by recruitment agency listings (219 out of 1,000 sampled jobs), so salary figures for other currencies are not published this week.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UK job market recovering in 2026?
Not yet, based on ATS posting data. UK job postings reached 10,463 in the week of 28 Sep-5 Oct 2026, crossing above the June 2026 baseline for the first time in 19 weeks. The following week (5-12 Oct), they fell to 7,908 - a 24.5% weekly drop, back to 22.5% below the June baseline. The overall market is strong (+10.7% above baseline), but the UK is one of only two tracked countries still below its June level.
Why did UK job postings fall in October 2026?
The underlying cause appears structural rather than seasonal. ONS data shows payrolled employees fell 101,000 year-on-year from July 2025 to July 2026, with a further early estimate of -26,000 for August. UK postings have been below the June 2026 baseline in 19 of the last 20 tracking weeks. The one exception (W41, 10,463 listings) reversed completely in the following week, following the same transient-spike pattern seen in W35.
How does the UK job market compare to other countries in October 2026?
UK is one of only two tracked countries still below its June 2026 baseline in the week of 5-12 Oct. The US is +19.8% above baseline (55,071 listings), Canada is +23.9% above, Ireland +17.1%, Spain +21.4%, France +7.9%, Netherlands +4.8%, Australia +6.7%, and India +8.4%. Germany is also below baseline (-11.6%) but improving. Eight of ten countries are above their June levels; only the UK and Germany are not.
What does the KPMG REC report say about UK hiring in October 2026?
The KPMG/REC Report on Jobs released 8 October 2026 (September data) showed the permanent placements index at 50.9, described as the strongest reading in four years. This measures staffing agency placements - completed hires made through recruiters. Job posting volumes and placement volumes measure different things: postings reflect employer intent to hire; placements reflect hires that actually happened. Both can be valid simultaneously.
What is the best way to find UK jobs being posted right now?
Focus on direct company career pages rather than aggregator boards. MORT's ATS data is drawn from company career sites (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, SmartRecruiters, and others), capturing roles posted directly by employers before they appear on aggregators. MORT is an AI job-matching platform that scans these company career pages, scores each role 0-100% for compatibility with your skills, and generates a tailored CV for each application.
Find UK jobs being posted right now
MORT scans thousands of company career pages daily, scores every role for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored CV for each application. In a market where direct postings are below historical levels, being first to the roles that are posted matters.
Sources
- MORT ATS feed, 7-day window ending 12 Oct 2026 - full-feed country totals and source totals (proprietary; methodology: count of new job postings appearing on company career pages via indexed ATS platforms in the 7-day window).
- KPMG/REC Report on Jobs - October 2026 (September data, released 8 Oct 2026) - permanent placements index 50.9, strongest in four years.
- ONS Labour Market Overview - September 2026 release - payrolled employees down 101,000 YoY (Jul 2025-Jul 2026); early estimate Aug 2026: further -26,000.
- MORT Job Market Report hub - full weekly data tables and prior angle posts