{
  "id": 1652734,
  "title": "Job vacancies at five-year low as smaller firms scale back recruitment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/job-vacancies-at-five-year-low-as-smaller-firms-scale-back-recruitment",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-18T06:36:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9nwx090v9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Official data reveals job vacancies at a five-year low, with smaller firms reducing recruitment. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported 707,000 vacancies in the May-to-July period, citing labor and operating costs as reasons for the decline. Unemployment remains steady at 4.9%, while regular earnings growth slightly increased to 3.5% annually. However, Suren Thiru, chief economist at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, warns that the low vacancy numbers signal shrinking labor demand. Greater automation and escalating costs are also impacting entry-level roles. Yael Selfin, KPMG's chief economist, notes that pay growth is primarily driven by public sector wages, while private sector growth slowed to 2.8%.",
  "summary": "Small firms cite labour and operating costs as reasons for scaling back hiring, the UK's statistics body says.",
  "key_points": [
    "Job vacancies at a five-year low, 707,000 in May-July period",
    "Smaller firms scaling back recruitment due to labor and operating costs",
    "Automation and rising costs impacting entry-level roles"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The decline in job vacancies, particularly among smaller firms, signals shrinking labor demand and may indicate that businesses are reassessing their hiring needs amid rising labor and operating costs.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Business",
        "title": "Job vacancies at five-year low as smaller firms scale back recruitment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/job-vacancies-at-five-year-low-as-smaller-firms-scale-back-recruitment-1654784",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:36:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}