Employers across the UK are taking nearly twice the time to hire in 2025 as they did a year ago, as businesses grapple with tighter budgets and a flood of applications.
New research from Totaljobs reveals that the average time to hire in 2025 has stretched to eight weeks, up from 4.8 weeks in 2024, with larger UK organisations taking up to nine weeks to make a decision.
The slowdown reflects a cautious approach to recruitment amid rising costs, including increases to the national living wage and national insurance contributions. Office for National Statistics labour market data shows unemployment climbed to 4.7% in September while vacancies fell below pre-pandemic levels, prompting employers to scrutinise hiring decisions more closely.
Funding constraints are adding to the challenge. According to Totaljobs’ survey of 900 HR leaders and 2,000 candidates, 56% of recruiters reported difficulty securing sufficient recruitment budgets. To adapt, one in four businesses have boosted the hiring of temporary workers and freelancers over the past six months.
Recruiters are also contending with an influx of applications, receiving an average of 22 per vacancy. With one in three workers planning a job move in the new year, this trend is expected to continue into 2026.
Technology is playing a growing role in managing the workload: three-quarters of recruiters believe AI can improve hiring efficiency, and a quarter already use automation tools for CV screening, interview scheduling and feedback.
Finding candidates with the right skills remains the top challenge for 70% of recruiters. Skills-based hiring is emerging as a key focus for 2026, with employers prioritising soft skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and communication alongside technical abilities like programming and data analysis.
Despite current hurdles, hiring confidence is rebounding. Over a third of businesses have ramped up recruitment since April, and one in three large firms and one in four smaller companies plan to increase hiring next year. More than half (58%) of employers said they were confident they would secure the talent they needed in 2026.
Luke Mckend, CEO at Totaljobs, said: “Waiting to hear if you’ve got a job has always been stressful, and that wait has become longer. But businesses are thinking strategically about their people and making investments that will sustain future growth. As AI continues to streamline early-stage screening, we expect both confidence and hiring pace to rebound.”
“Technology is already starting to rebalance the process, cutting through admin and helping recruiters focus on people. As AI continues to streamline early-stage screening, we expect both confidence and hiring pace to rebound in 2026. In fact, over three-quarters of businesses believe AI will improve hiring efficiency.
“Anyone entering the job market needs to think strategically about how they position themselves in an increasingly competitive market while upskilling in the right areas. We’re seeing growing demand for softer skills so job seekers should be thinking of ways to bolster their CVs to stand out from the crowd.”
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