The wider market is cautious, and that shapes every claims hire you plan this year. Analysts describe the current UK labour market as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment but only slight increases in redundancies, and vacancies that have dropped below pre-pandemic levels Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK. In other words, fewer roles are open, but people aren't being pushed out either.
The headline vacancy numbers tell the same story. Early estimates for April to June 2026 suggest a decrease of 7,000 (0.9%) vacancies to 712,000 compared with the previous quarter, with vacancies falling in 10 of the 18 industry sectors ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK. The slide continued through the summer: early estimates for May to July 2026 suggest a further decrease of 6,000 (0.8%) vacancies to 707,000 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK, August 2026.
There is one encouraging signal, though. Permanent placements have finally stabilised, ending a decline in place for 45 months, while temporary billings increased for a fourth consecutive month REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global). For claims leads, that means the long freeze is thawing, and the teams that plan now are the ones that move first.
Financial services hiring is skewing towards higher qualifications. In the sector, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles, rather than RQF 3 to 5 GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report. For claims teams, that points to demand for experienced handlers, technical specialists and team leaders who can own complex, regulated work, rather than entry-level volume roles.
Competition for those people is real, even in a quieter market. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in March to May 2026, a ratio that has held at 2.5 since July to September 2025 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK. That average hides the truth for skilled claims roles: the right person is still hard to find, because the qualified pool is smaller than the raw numbers suggest.
The near-term trend is still downward overall. Total estimated vacancies were down by 76,000 (9.5%) in December 2025 to February 2026 from a year earlier, decreasing in 15 of the 18 industry sectors ONS – Vacancies and jobs in the UK (March 2026). When openings tighten, candidates weigh their options carefully and a slow process loses the best of them.
Start with the role, not the job title. Because the sector is hiring for RQF 6+ work GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, write the brief around the regulated outcomes the person owns: the claim types, the authority limits, the systems and the regulatory knowledge. A sharp brief surfaces the right people faster and spares you a shortlist of near-misses.
Above all, respect people's time. In a market where openings are falling but the right skills are scarce, a clear brief, fast feedback and a short route to interview are what win the hire.
This is where we help. We search a database of 15 million candidates to surface people who match your claims brief, then manage the process end to end, from a ranked shortlist through to a booked interview. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. You pay for the value of finding the right person and having the whole recruitment managed for you. If you're planning your next claims hire, talk to Reed.ai today.
