Written by Harry Law
Jobs websites Adzuna and Indeed have recently published data stating that graduate vacancies have continued to decline over the summer, though what these figures actually mean for the graduate job market is contested.
Adzuna found that graduate vacancies on its website fell to 8,383 in July, down 45.6% year-on-year. In a report from August, Indeed claims that graduate job postings on its website were at their lowest for this time of year since 2020.
From one perspective, the figures appear as the latest instalment in a broader deterioration of the graduate job market, with the Financial Times publishing data from Adzuna claiming that UK graduate vacancies had already fallen over 50% between 2022 and 2025. This bolsters the arguments of those arguing AI is driving structural changes in the market, as simple roles aimed at new graduates are increasingly becoming automated.
On the other hand, questions have been raised over how representative the figures are of the actual graduate market. The dramatic fall claimed by Adzuna is only based on one month of data from its own website, which is not specialised in advertising entry-level graduate jobs. It can be difficult for data collectors to pick out what is and isn’t a “graduate job”, meaning many graduate jobs that are named differently may slip through the net. Finally, many employers are increasingly recruiting new workers through apprenticeships and internships, taking jobs off websites like Adzuna and Indeed but not off the actual market. More targeted data from ISE and High Fliers measuring summer 2026 has not yet been released, but may complicate the current picture.
In addition, the fall in recruitment may be more a consequence of the particular economic headaches facing UK employers this year, rather than evidence of structural change from AI. Rising costs, such as increases in Employer National Insurance, may be weakening businesses’ appetites for new hires. A paper by Peter John Lambert and Dr. Yannick Schindler even argues remote work may have played a part by cutting new employees off from informal training by experienced colleagues in an office environment, making them less productive and attractive to employers.
When approached for comment, LSE recognised that “this is a particularly challenging time to be entering the labour market”, while representatives of LSE Careers stated that “things are definitely tougher” and “we were certainly aware of greater anxiety among our students last year.” However, both stated that LSE’s “employment outcomes remain very strong”, with its graduates “highly sought after.”
LSE highlighted its commitment to helping students to complement their “core education” with “experiences that allow them to develop the other skills that are also critical to employers: digital literacy, an ability to use AI contextually and ethically, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and an understanding of the world of work.” It drew attention to the offerings of its Careers service, including its online job board, CareerSet, Ask an Alum, and appointments with Careers Consultants.
LSE Careers stressed that despite the shifting employment market, much of its core advice still applies: to “know yourself and what you’re good at, think carefully about what you want to do and why, spend the time understanding what attracts you about this particular employer and pull it all together into a narrative that makes sense and is authentic.”
LSE Careers warned that “the big change is that the situation is now very unforgiving – if you’re not willing to spend the time doing this and targeting your applications carefully, you will struggle.” However, for students feeling unsure about how to do this, its message was simple: “worried or not, confident or not, ready to apply or not, book an appointment with a Careers Consultant.”
