Article menu
Welcome to our recruiter insights for October 2026, with the latest facts and figures from the labour market. This update is based on the jobs posted on CharityJob between July and the end of September 2026.
Candidate demand for jobs hits a record high
Once again, we saw year-on-year growth in interest from candidates, with September reaching record levels of clicks on the ‘Apply’ button (CoA) per job posted (60). This surpassed the previous record, which was set in May 2026 (58).
When looking at the quarter as a whole, the average number of clicks on the ‘Apply’ button was up by 23% year-on-year, which is also a 3% increase on the previous quarter.
The month of August was up 31% year-on-year, as candidate demand bucked previous trends. This was heavily influenced by job volumes dropping that month, as total clicks on the ‘Apply’ button remained steady.
Candidate numbers continue to grow
The number of active candidates was up 13% on the previous year, but we saw new candidate registrations decline by 2% year-on-year. A seasonal reduction in August was counterbalanced by a spike in September.
We saw steady quarter-on-quarter growth across both metrics.
Decline in number of jobs posted
The challenges within the labour market continue to affect the number of available roles.
CharityJob saw a decline of 15% in jobs posted compared to the previous year. This is alongside a slight decline of 2% quarter-on-quarter. This decline is heavily influenced by a reduction in volunteer roles, as we saw an increase in paid roles in both July and September 2026 compared to the previous year.
Despite the overall decline, the total number of jobs posted in September 2026 jumped back up from an August drop.
Demand for fundraising showed the most growth
Candidate interest in fundraising (measured in clicks on the ‘Apply’ button), saw a 40% increase compared to the previous year, making it the highest growing category.
As a result, the category with the biggest gap between the number of roles available and the number of clicks on the ‘Apply’ button changed from fundraising to support workers. Demand for support worker roles was 35% lower than the overall demand for jobs.
The category with the most roles available this quarter remained as business services, with just shy of 2,400 jobs posted across the three-month period.
Demand for HR and finance employees grew, with increases of 3% and 2% respectively, in comparison to the previous year. This bucks the trend of the wider market.
Marketing, PR & digital roles were popular – they matched policy, advocacy, governance & campaign vacancies, with both segments generating an average of 85 clicks. This represents a 63% increase in demand, compared to the site as a whole.
In need of recruitment support?
CharityJob can help you showcase your job to a talented pool of candidates. Our team have specialist sector knowledge, and they’re ready to help you find your future employees and volunteers.
Visit www.charityjob.co.uk/recruiters
Tags: charity recruitment, charity sector, job market, recruitment trends
