UK job vacancies per 100: public administration, defence
UK job vacancies per 100: public administration, defence stood at 1.9 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 | |||||||||||
| O Public administration and defence | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2 | 1.9 | |
| P Education | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Understanding UK job vacancies per 100: public administration, defence
Unfilled employment opportunities within public administration and defence across the United Kingdom are measured as a proportion of total established jobs in this sector. The series covers government administration, statutory bodies, justice, public order, and the armed forces, scaled per hundred employee positions. Excluded are private security contractors and individuals engaged in voluntary work for non-governmental organisations. This metric isolates recruitment pressures inside public service delivery, differentiating state-backed personnel requirements from commercial and industrial sectors.
Users should examine the data with an awareness of annual budgetary announcements and statutory recruitment freezes that can alter hiring patterns abruptly. Revisions to early estimates frequently occur as administrative returns from government departments are updated. Year-on-year comparisons are generally preferred over monthly variations to eliminate predictable seasonal fluctuations in public sector recruitment. Analysts must remember that statutory roles often have complex vetting procedures, meaning a vacant position remains open longer than in standard commercial sectors without necessarily implying a shortage of candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include members of the armed forces?
- Yes, public administration and defence encompasses both civil government administration and the armed forces.
- How do government spending rounds affect these vacancy numbers?
- Annual budgets and statutory funding allocations heavily influence recruitment authorisation and public sector hiring velocity.
- Are voluntary workers counted in the denominator of this ratio?
- No, only formal employee jobs remunerated via official payrolls are included.