Labour-market pressure is not affecting hospitality, construction and transport in the same way. UK vacancies have eased overall, hospitality still has a comparatively high vacancy rate, and construction faces persistent skills shortages alongside projected growth in priority occupations. The latest evidence here does not establish a current transport-specific shortage of comparable scale.
What the latest UK vacancy figures show
The Office for National Statistics estimated 702,000 UK vacancies in June to August 2026. That was 8,000 fewer than in the previous quarter and 36,000 fewer than a year earlier; the total remained 86,000 below January to March 2020. These are three-month-average estimates, not a count of every vacancy open on a single day. The ONS describes the latest total as an early estimate. ONS, Vacancies and jobs in the UK: September 2026
The broader market has therefore cooled from recent highs, but that does not mean every industry has the same level of difficulty recruiting. In May to July 2026, there were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy, unchanged since July to September 2025 and up from 2.3 a year earlier. That national ratio gives context; it does not identify how many applicants have the particular skills or experience an employer needs.
Hospitality: high vacancy demand, fewer skills-related vacancies
Accommodation and food service activities had a 2.8% vacancy rate in June to August 2026, tied with financial and insurance activities for the second-highest rate among industries. The sector’s vacancy count was down by 8,000 year on year. A high rate and a falling count can coexist: the rate measures vacancies relative to the industry’s workforce, while the count is the number of vacancies. Neither measure alone shows how difficult a particular job is to fill. ONS, September 2026
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A separate measure looks specifically at vacancies employers found hard to fill because of skills, qualifications or experience. In England’s Hotels and Restaurants sector, there were more than 15,000 such vacancies in 2024, down from 43,000 in 2022. They made up 21% of the sector’s vacancies, below the 27% all-sector average. These figures come from the Employer Skills Survey and were reported in a 2025 parliamentary answer; they cover England Hotels and Restaurants, not all UK hospitality. UK Parliament, written question 78772
At the wider UK level, Skills England reports that the share of vacancies constrained by skills shortages fell from 36% in 2022 to 27% in 2024. The decline signals easing pressure overall, not an end to sector-specific recruitment problems. Skills England, Annual skills report 2026
Construction: persistent skills gaps meet projected growth
Skills England says skills shortages remain above pre-pandemic levels, with particular problems in construction. Its report projects around 1.8 million additional jobs by 2035 across selected priority occupations, equivalent to 24% growth from 2025. Construction is among the areas expected to see the greatest expansion, alongside digital and technologies, and creative industries. This is a projection across selected occupations—not proof that every construction trade or region currently has unfilled jobs. Skills England, Annual skills report 2026
For construction employers, the combination matters: existing skills constraints could make it harder to meet future demand if the supply of trained workers does not keep pace. But the available figures do not quantify current shortages by trade or location. A historical Migration Advisory Committee review found construction vacancies were 65% above January to March 2020 in November 2022 to January 2023. That comparison is useful for context only; it is not a current vacancy reading. Migration Advisory Committee, Construction and hospitality shortage review
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Transport: workforce data is not a shortage measure
The current figures cited here do not establish a transport-specific shortage diagnosis comparable with the evidence on hospitality vacancies or construction skills constraints. HM Revenue & Customs reported that UK nationals accounted for 1.1 million, or 76%, of transport and storage payrolled employments in December 2025. The measure describes the nationality mix of payroll employment; it excludes self-employment and does not show worker availability, vacancies or the reasons a role may be hard to fill. HMRC, UK payrolled employments by nationality and industry through December 2025
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare pressure across the three sectors
Different labour-market measures answer different questions. A useful comparison keeps their scope and reference period visible:
Quick Recap
- Vacancy count and rate: the ONS reports a 2.8% rate for accommodation and food services in June to August 2026, but the figures cited here do not provide a corresponding current transport-specific rate. A sector’s count and its rate should not be treated as interchangeable.
- Skills-related hard-to-fill vacancies: the England Hotels and Restaurants estimate concerns vacancies difficult to fill for skills, qualifications or experience in 2024; it is not a general UK vacancy count.
- Workforce composition: HMRC’s transport and storage figure covers payrolled employments, not all workers, and cannot establish a shortage.
- Future demand: Skills England’s growth projection covers selected priority occupations through 2035, not every job in construction or another sector.
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