Increased demand for delivery drivers and actors, study suggests

Vacancies for delivery drivers and couriers, actors, entertainers and presenters, and pest control officers showed the biggest increase in recent weeks, research suggests.

There were a total of 1.7 million job adverts in June, a 9% increase on May and 11% up on a year ago, said the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (Rec).

The biggest increases last month were in areas including Anglesey, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and Cheshire, the study found.

There were also big increases in adverts for agriculture, retail and hospitality jobs, which Rec said bodes well for summer seasonal hiring.

Lorraine Laryea, Rec’s chief standards officer, said: “There is a clear uptick in firms taking action on long-held hiring plans. We do need to be careful of seasonal effects, including the two bank holidays in May and the onset of summer hiring in locations like Cornwall, but the general trend is clear.

“Firms are venturing back to hiring and vacancies are now above pre-Gulf crisis levels.

“With a new prime minister coming to office this week, real recovery relies on an economic plan that sustains growing confidence, not action that once again deflates it and derails companies’ plans.”

Published: 17/07/2026 by Radio NewsHub