47 months of decline. One month of growth. That is all a window needs. The September 2026 Talent Trends Report from Gerrard White looks at what August's data means for hiring managers in insurance, technology and change, and legal - and why the next few weeks are the best hiring moment in four years.
The August scoreboard
From the KPMG/REC UK Report on Jobs, August 2026 data:
▲ 50.5 Permanent placements - the first UK rise in 47 months, with London fastest of the English regions at 53.6.
▲ 52.4 Contract and temp billings - a fifth straight month of growth, quicker than July.
▼ 46.8 UK vacancies - still easing nationally, but London permanent vacancies rose for a fifth straight month, the only English region to do so.
▲ 54.1 Starting salaries - the fastest UK rise in seven months; London cooled from July's 16-month high.
▲ 45 months Candidate supply - London availability has risen for 45 consecutive months.
Four arrows up, one down - and the one pointing down is the national average London has already left behind.
Three conditions that almost never line up
Candidate supply is the deepest in years. Competition for the best people is still low, because most employers are waiting for a second month of data. And salary pressure in London has just eased from a 16-month high. Supply high, competition low, pay pressure easing: in specialist markets those three rarely coincide, and each one starts to close as the recovery builds.
Our read is simple. This isn't a recovery to watch. It is one to be in early.
What is inside the September report
What hiring managers are asking us - straight answers to the five questions we heard most this month, including "Should I wait for a second month of data?"
Three markets, three windows - what is moving, who is already hiring and what to do this month in insurance, technology and change, and legal.
Three moves before the next data point - a week-by-week plan for using the window before October's figures land.
The regional picture - why London, the Midlands, the North and the South are telling different stories, and what that means if you hire across regions.
Who this report is for
Hiring managers, HR and talent leads in insurance and insurtech, technology and change, and legal - anyone with a specialist role on hold who wants to know how deep the market is, what the going rate is, and how quickly it will tighten.
Frequently asked questions
Is UK permanent hiring growing again in 2026? Yes. The KPMG/REC UK Report on Jobs recorded the first rise in permanent placements for 47 months in August 2026 (index 50.5), led by London at 53.6. It is a marginal rise, but it ends the longest run of decline in the survey's recent history.
Should I wait for a second month of data before hiring? You can, but everyone else is waiting for the same October data point. The strongest candidates are available now with no rival offer on the table. In specialist markets, the price of certainty is competition. The report sets out how to use the gap.
Which skills are in shortage in London in 2026? August's report lists accounting and financial, IT and computing, engineering and professional roles among the hardest permanent positions to fill in London. On our own desks, pricing and actuarial roles remain among some of the most contested.
A useful next step
If August's first rise has put a role back on the agenda, the most useful thing we can offer (other than the hire itself) is perspective: the depth of the market for that role, the going rate, who else is circling and how quickly it will tighten. Fifteen minutes with our specialist team will tell you exactly where you stand.
Get in touch
Gerrard White is an award-winning specialist recruiter across Insurance, Technology & Change and Legal, supporting permanent and contractor hiring across the UK, Europe and the US.
01892 553355 | info@gerrardwhite.com
