The UK Jobs Where Hardly Anyone Is Applying
If you have spent months applying for jobs, you have probably heard that every role gets hundreds of applicants. For graduate schemes, that is close to true: employers average 140 applications per graduate vacancy (ISE Student Recruitment Survey 2025). But across the wider market, a surprising number of adverts get only a handful of applications. Knowing where those roles are can change where you spend your time.
How many applications does a typical UK job advert get?
Far fewer than most people assume. TalentFinder, a UK recruitment firm, tracked 1,141 of its own job adverts over the year to September 2026, each live for 28 days (TalentFinder, October 2026). It found:
- The median advert received 31 applications.
- 13.9% of adverts received fewer than five.
- 3.9% received none at all.
One in seven adverts attracting fewer than five applicants is a long way from the hundreds people expect (People Management, 7 October 2026).
This is one recruiter's data, not the whole market, and it skews towards the sectors that recruiter works in. But it is one of the few published datasets that tracks applications per advert, and the patterns in it line up with what employers say about skills shortages.
Which jobs get the fewest applicants?
Roles that need a specific qualification, trade or specialist experience.
| Sector | Median applications per advert | Adverts with fewer than five applications |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | 11 | 35.3% |
| Engineering | 15 | 21.1% |
| Construction and property | 18.5 | 18.6% |
| Building services and trades | 19 | 20.0% |
| Care | 35 | 12.5% |
| Accountancy and finance | 42.5 | 15.0% |
| Manufacturing | 43 | 12.3% |
| Transport and logistics | 43.5 | 5.2% |
Source: TalentFinder, October 2026. Sectors with fewer than 50 adverts in the sample are left out.
Insurance and financial services adverts also attracted very few applicants, with 43.8% getting fewer than five, but that figure is based on only 16 adverts, so treat it with caution.
The pattern matches the wider market. 73% of UK employers say they struggle to find skilled talent (ManpowerGroup, March 2026), and recruiters report employers competing for highly skilled candidates and those with niche skills (KPMG and REC, September 2026).
Do higher-paid jobs get fewer applicants?
Yes, sharply. In the same data, adverts paying £60,000 or more received a median of 15 applications, and 29.8% got fewer than five. Adverts paying £20,000 to £25,000 received a median of 62, and none got fewer than five (TalentFinder).
That is the hard truth of the current market: competition is fiercest at the entry level. With around 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy across the UK (ONS), the roles anyone could apply for fill up fastest.
Why do some jobs get so few applicants?
- They need something specific. A qualification, a licence, a trade or several years in a niche narrows the pool before anyone applies.
- Strong candidates are not looking. Recruiters quoted by People Management note that senior and specialist people are often not actively searching job boards, so employers have to approach them directly.
- People rule themselves out. Many candidates skip roles where they do not tick every box, or assume a senior-sounding title is out of reach.
- Location. In the same data, London adverts received a median of 45 applications, well above the overall median of 31. Roles outside the capital can face much less competition.
How can you use this in your job search?
- Apply at 70%. If you meet most of the requirements of a specialist role, apply. With so few competitors, the gap matters less than you think. Our guide to quality vs quantity in your job search covers how to choose.
- Look one step sideways. Support, operations and trainee roles inside legal, engineering and trades businesses often need fewer specialist credentials than the headline jobs. See who's hiring in the UK right now for the sectors still recruiting.
- Make your specialist skills obvious. If you have a qualification or niche experience, put it in the first lines of your CV. Our guide to transferable skills shows how to frame experience from another field.
- Do not only apply. Approach. For specialist and senior roles, a direct message to the hiring manager or a specialist recruiter can reach jobs that are never widely advertised.
- Tailor less, but better. Fewer, well-targeted applications to low-competition roles will usually beat dozens of generic ones to crowded roles. See how to apply to tailored roles without burning out.
The market rewards aim over volume. Vibe Score ranks roles by how well they fit you on salary, pace, flex and culture, so you can spot the openings worth going all in on. Build your shortlist at mypathfinder.uk