UK vacancies per 100 jobs: professional, scientific
UK vacancies per 100 jobs: professional, scientific stood at 2.3 ratio in Jun 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Labour market table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from May 2001 to Jun 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market table
| Indicator | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacancies per 100 employee jobs, by industry | |||||||||||
| M Professional, scientific and technical | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | |
| N Administrative and support services | 1.9 | 2 | 2 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
Understanding UK vacancies per 100 jobs: professional, scientific
Active recruitment positions per hundred established employee jobs within professional, scientific, and technical consultancies across the United Kingdom quantify relative hiring pressure across specialised knowledge-based services. This ratio standardises unfilled engineering, legal, accounting, architectural, and scientific research openings against existing technical employment. The scope encompasses legal practices, management consultancies, engineering design firms, and scientific laboratories, while excluding corporate administrative staff located outside specialist consultancies.
Reading this ratio requires accounting for corporate advisory budgets, government infrastructure spending, and R&D funding cycles that drive demand for specialised professionals. Initial estimates face frequent revisions as professional partnerships and consultancies process their HR returns. Analysts should examine the ratio alongside corporate investment indicators to distinguish between strategic firm expansion and acute specialist skill shortages. Comparing these professional ratios with retail or hospitality reveals the distinct qualification requirements and salary structures governing knowledge-intensive work.
Frequently asked questions
- What specific professions fall within this category?
- Legal services, accounting, management consultancy, architectural engineering, advertising, and scientific research are all included.
- How do corporate budgets affect these vacancy ratios?
- Businesses increase demand for external legal, accounting, and technical consultants during periods of restructuring or major capital investment.
- Why use employee jobs as a base for professional services?
- Dividing vacancies by established jobs accounts for wide variations in firm size, from sole-practitioner partnerships to large multinational consultancies.