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JL JobLabs

For journalists, researchers, HR teams

UK hiring research

Citation-worthy UK hiring research and open datasets. Methodology disclosed on every page. CC BY 4.0 — citation encouraged.

Need a quote, methodology detail, or interview?

Alex (12-year UK recruiter, 40,000+ CVs reviewed, this site's author) replies within 1 UK working day. Open to specific data requests, interviews, podcast appearances, and quote attribution for articles.

Email hello@joblabs.ai →

Research articles

UK Hiring Report 2026

· CC BY 4.0

UK time-to-hire averages 6–14 weeks. Senior roles get 250+ applications. London premium 22–28%.

Recruiter-led market dataset: time-to-hire, application volumes, AI-in-screening prevalence, salary trends, London premium, sector specialism premiums. Synthesised from ONS, Reed.co.uk, LinkedIn Talent Insights, Robert Walters, Hays, CIPD plus 12 years of placement records.

Read the report + citation block →

UK Recruiter Truths 2026 — 14-Point Pattern Study

· CC BY 4.0

Senior placement candidate-to-offer ratio is 1-in-32 in 2026. Counter-offer acceptance rate runs 30–35%.

14 specific UK recruitment data points from 12 years of placement work and 15,000+ CV reviews: candidate-to-offer ratios, salary outcome distributions, fall-through rates, AI-detection rates. Methodology and limitations included.

Read the report + citation block →

UK City Salary Index 2026 — 41-City Dataset

· CC BY 4.0

Aberdeen + Reading + Slough top the salary list (oil + Thames Valley premium); Hull + Stoke at the floor.

Median full-time salary bands for 41 UK cities — recruiter-built, ONS-anchored, ranked by % vs UK median. JSON + CSV download. Free to cite. Pitched at UK regional press for entity-association building.

Read the report + citation block →

Open datasets

JSON + CSV downloads. CC BY 4.0. Use them in your articles, products, payroll software, or research.

UK Salaries 2026 (open dataset)

30 roles × 8 cities × 4 seniority levels = 960 salary benchmarks with London premium, skill bumps, top employers. Published as JSON + CSV.

JSON, CSV CC BY 4.0

UK Statutory Rates 2026/27

Every UK statutory rate, threshold, and band for 2026/27: income tax, NI, NLW/NMW, SSP, SMP/SPP/SAP, redundancy, pension auto-enrolment, state pension, ISA, Marriage Allowance.

JSON, CSV CC BY 4.0

UK Tax Codes 2026/27

20+ UK tax codes (1257L, BR, BRX, K, M, N, T, D0, D1, 0T, S-prefix, C-prefix, NT, W1/M1) with meaning, who gets each code, how it affects pay, and worked examples.

JSON, CSV CC BY 4.0

UK City Salary Index 2026 (open dataset)

Median full-time salary bands for 41 UK cities — JSON + CSV. Includes region, population, % vs UK median (£37,000 baseline), source URL per city. Methodology disclosed at /research/uk-city-salary-index-2026/.

JSON, CSV CC BY 4.0

See the full data hub for all dataset endpoints + machine-readable schemas.

Methodology

  • Source data is JobLabs's own placement records (12 years, 40,000+ CVs reviewed) cross-referenced against publicly stated figures from ONS Labour Market Outlook, Reed.co.uk Job Index, LinkedIn Talent Insights, Robert Walters Salary Survey, Hays UK Salary Guide, CIPD Resourcing & Talent Planning Survey.
  • Independence: JobLabs is independently operated. No sponsor relationship with any UK recruitment agency, employer, or job board.
  • Limitations are stated: every research article includes a "What this report doesn't claim" section.
  • Update cadence: trend analysis refreshed quarterly. Statutory data refreshed annually at UK tax-year start (April).
  • Citation: every research article carries a one-click citation block (APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX). Datasets carry citation guidance in their machine-readable metadata.

FAQ

Can I cite JobLabs research in my article?
Yes. All research articles and datasets are published under CC BY 4.0 — citation is encouraged. Each research article has a one-click citation block (APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX) at the bottom. Quote any specific figure with attribution to 'Alex, JobLabs (12-year UK recruiter)' and a link to the source URL.
How is JobLabs research different from Hays / Robert Walters / Reed reports?
JobLabs is independent — no agency relationship with any UK employer or recruitment firm. Agency salary surveys are written to flatter agency clients and tend to over-state salaries by 5–15%. JobLabs research is calibrated against actual placements made and figures are cross-referenced against ONS earnings data, gov.uk statutory rates, and 4–6 agency surveys read together to triangulate.
How current is the data?
Trend analysis is current to April 2026 (the 2026/27 UK tax year start). Datasets are versioned with explicit lastmod dates. Research articles refresh quarterly when material market shifts occur.
How do I request an interview or a custom data point?
Email hello@joblabs.ai with the angle, deadline, and outlet. Alex (the author) replies within 1 working day during UK office hours. For specific data points (e.g. "what is the AI-engineer salary delta in Manchester vs London for 3-5 years experience?") JobLabs can provide a recruiter-calibrated estimate with methodology disclosed.

Press kit + key statistics + founder bio: /press/ · About JobLabs