Hays UK Salary & Recruiting Trends Guide 2026

The UK’s trusted guide to salaries and workforce trends is here. 

 

 

Our 2026 Salary & Recruiting Trends Guide is now available. With insights from over 5,100 professionals across the UK, you'll discover invaluable data and expert analysis to help you plan for what's next.

Get instant access

Access expert workforce and hiring insights from across the UK, including:

  • How employment trends are shaping the UK job market
  • The most in-demand skills and roles employers are hiring for
  • Salary movements and what they mean for attracting talent
  • How AI is changing recruitment and working practices
  • What employers are doing to stand out in a competitive market

Gain a unique perspective informed by deep dives across 15 sectors and salary benchmarks for hundreds of roles, this guide helps you make more confident workforce and hiring decisions.

It only takes a minute to complete the form and get instant access.

 

 

Key insights:

 

93%


62%


of employers have faced skills shortages in the last 12 months
plan to move jobs in the coming year
 

84%


34%


of employers increased salaries in the last 12 months
of employees use AI regularly in their workplace
 
 
 

About our research:

15

industries and sectors covered

5k

employers and professionals surveyed across the UK

15+

insights from industry experts

10k+

salaries for roles across the UK, split by sector and region

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