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UK job vacancies in information and communication were 36,000 this summer, about half their 2022 peak

The official count was unchanged on a year earlier. Across the whole UK economy, vacancies fell to 702,000, the lowest since early 2021.

Catching up: the original came out on . This story was published later, when the site opened.

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Sources: 2 · top grade 1How evidence is graded

36,000

UK vacancies in information and communication this summer, against 78,000 in 2022

Grade 1 · Primary

Source: Office for National Statistics (UK)

What changed
The ONS estimated 36,000 vacancies in the UK's information and communication industry in June to August 2026, the same as a year earlier.
Who it counts
Open positions employers were recruiting for from outside, in telecoms, IT services, software and publishing, from the ONS's survey of employers.
What it does not tell you
Which jobs were open, or how many people applied for them. Early estimates are revised, and IT jobs in other industries are not counted.

The full story Check the source

There were an estimated 36,000 job vacancies in the UK's information and communication industry in June to August 2026, the Office for National Statistics reported on 15 September [1][2].

That was the same as in June to August 2025, and about half the 78,000 of April to June 2022, the series' peak [2].

Across the whole economy, vacancies fell by 8,000 on the quarter to 702,000, the lowest level since February to April 2021 [1].

There were 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy, a ratio unchanged since July to September 2025 [1].

What it measures

Positions employers are actively recruiting for from outside their organisation, from the ONS's Vacancy Survey of employers [1].

Information and communication covers publishing, including software, film and broadcasting, telecoms, and IT and information services. The figures are three-month averages, seasonally adjusted [2].

What it does not tell you

Which roles were open, or at what pay. The survey counts vacancies by industry, not by job [1].

How final it is. June to August figures are early estimates and will be revised; the next release is on 20 October [1].

Fit: IT roles in banks, retailers and government are counted in those industries, not here [2].

Sources and their grades

  1. Office for National Statistics (UK), Vacancies and jobs in the UK, September 2026. Read 29 September 2026. Grade 1 · Primary Released 15 September 2026. Figures for June to August 2026 are early estimates.
  2. Office for National Statistics (UK), UK Job Vacancies (thousands), Information and Communication (series JP9P). Read 29 September 2026. Grade 1 · Primary Three-month averages, seasonally adjusted, labelled by their middle month: July 2026 is June to August.

A grade says how much weight a source will take, from 1 (a body that can compel an answer and has nothing to sell) to 5 (somebody describing what they sell, or themselves). The standard sets out what each grade may be used for.

Filed under Labour market UK

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