Welcome to 2026! What has recruitment looked like for you as a hiring company or job seeker in 2025? And what will the landscape be for 2026?
From all accounts, it has been somewhat of a bumpy road across all sectors, affecting both companies looking to hire and candidates that are searching for new opportunities.
Jobseekers have found the job market tough. Mainly due to fewer roles being advertised and increased competition for those who are making applications, with more applications for each role being made.
Factors such as the economy and less investment in the science and tech sectors, with a 6% decrease (as reported by the ONS) in private investment between 2021 and 2023, have allowed for a knock-on effect to vacancy counts in these sectors specifically too.
Other sectors have had similar challenges, according to the Greater Cambridge Employment Update from June 2025, all sectors but ‘High-tech manufacturing’ saw employment growth either slow down or remain unchanged in the latest year.
What will 2026 look like?
"The first half of 2026 will likely deliver uncomfortably slow growth in the labour market, with unemployment peaking at 4.5% in early 2026,” JPMorgan said, a week before the Labour Department released the delayed November jobs report that showed the rate climbing to a four-year high of 4.6%.
It will be interesting to see how AI effects job opportunities in both respects. With a decrease in technical hires on one hand and opportunities being created due to the presence of AI on another.
We are seeing a recent increase in AI job roles, such as AI Solutions Architect and Experienced Verification Engineer, being advertised on our Cambridge Network jobs board. We expect to see more opportunities emerge within cyber security and data governance as the year gets going.
The overall feel is that the market will continue to be slower, but will absolutely not stop. At Cambridge Network, we are already speaking with companies looking to grow across all areas of their businesses. Due to the need for companies to engage with talent to fill these roles, will be holding our first candidate recruitment evening, with Redgate Software as our headline sponsor, on 17th March from 6 pm - 9 pm.
This event will be a mix of panel discussions, workshops and careers advise and is open for job seekers to book their place now! More info here: Cambridge Network candidate recruitment evening | Cambridge Network