As UK graduate vacancies hit decade low, WorkFair offers lifeline

Graduate job vacancies in the UK have fallen to their lowest level in a decade, raising particular concern for LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates already navigating barriers to workplace inclusion.

Figures from recruitment website Adzuna show that only 8,383 graduate roles were advertised in July, a 45% drop compared with the same month last year and the lowest level since the company began tracking the data in 2016.

The downturn comes as 262,820 people are due to start university in September, a record intake that highlights the growing pressure on young people trying to move from education into work, especially those seeking employers that are genuinely inclusive of LGBTQ+ staff.

According to the Office for National Statistics, about 1 million young people in the UK were not in education, employment or training (Neet) in the first quarter of this year. The Guardian reported on research that sectors such as healthcare, nursing, hospitality and logistics all advertised fewer vacancies, suggesting that the modest recovery seen in the spring has reversed.

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “July’s numbers are a step backwards, not a blip. The annual vacancy decline got worse for the first time since January, and jobseekers per vacancy are now higher than they were a year ago. The graduate job market also keeps setting new lows, which tells us employers still haven’t found a reason to open up hiring at that level.”

These trends are feeding into rising anxiety among young people. Research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) earlier this year found that 16- to 21-year-olds feel less confident about their future success than a decade ago, with some reporting that they are “losing faith in their futures”. For LGBTQ+ youth, who still report higher levels of workplace discrimination and exclusion, the combination of fewer roles and heightened competition can be especially disheartening.

With the graduate job market tightening and many young LGBTQ+ people seeking inclusive employers, tailored support and direct connections with equality-focused companies are becoming increasingly important.

One initiative aiming to bridge this gap is myGwork’s WorkFair, a global virtual career fair for LGBTQ+ students and recent graduates, taking place on 4 November 2026, from 11:00am to 7:00pm (GMT).

WorkFair will allow candidates to:

• Search industries and companies using advanced filters to identify inclusive employers
• Live chat with recruiters in real time
• Book audio and video interviews to present their skills directly
• Join virtual panels and workshops for practical career advice and insight into LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces

Employers participating in WorkFair will be able to:

• Promote their roles through a live job board
• Search and filter CVs to identify candidates efficiently
• Host or sponsor live webinars to present their culture and share employee stories
• Schedule interviews and speak directly with candidates on the platform
• Build customised virtual booths with tailored branding, job listings and avatars

In a market where graduate vacancies are shrinking, structured digital events that centre LGBTQ+ inclusion help level the playing field, offering young people clear routes into organisations that value diversity.

Students, recent graduates and inclusive employers who want to respond proactively to these labour market trends can sign up to myGwork and register for WorkFair to secure their place at the event.