GeraJobs / UK Job Vacancies by Sector / Public administration & defence
Public admin & defence; compulsory social security — UK Job Vacancies
The UK Public admin & defence; compulsory social security sector had 28,000 unfilled job vacancies in March to May 2026 — 1.8 per 100 employee jobs, a Gera Vacancy Index of 82 (UK = 100), below the UK average. Real ONS VACS02 data.
How many job vacancies are there in the UK Public administration & defence sector?
As of March to May 2026 (ONS VACS02), the UK Public admin & defence; compulsory social security sector had 28,000 unfilled job vacancies — unchanged 0% on a year earlier — at 1.8 vacancies per 100 employee jobs. That is a Gera Vacancy Index of 82 (UK = 100), below the UK average. Real ONS data, OGL v3.0; re-dated monthly.
Gera Vacancy Index
Public admin & defence; compulsory social security ranks #12 of 18 UK sectors by vacancy volume. 1.8 vacancies per 100 employee jobs vs the UK's 2.2 — a looser labour market than the UK economy.
How this is calculatedPublic administration & defence vs the UK
| Measure | Public administration & defence | UK (all sectors) |
|---|---|---|
| Unfilled vacancies (March to May 2026) | 28,000 | 707,000 |
| Vacancies per 100 employee jobs | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Gera Vacancy Index (UK = 100) | 82 | 100 |
| Change on previous quarter | down 1,000 | — |
| Change year-on-year | 0% (+0) | — |
A year ago (March to May 2025) the Public administration & defence ratio was 1.8 vacancies per 100 jobs, on 28,000 vacancies.
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Unfilled vacancies
28,000
Per 100 employee jobs
1.8
Gera Vacancy Index
82
Public admin & defence; compulsory social security has 1.8 vacancies per 100 employee jobs, versus 2.2 for the whole UK — a Gera Vacancy Index of 82 (UK = 100), so a looser, easier-to-hire market than the UK average. Vacancies are unchanged 0% year-on-year.
Hiring in Public administration & defence? Post a vacancy on GeraJobsPublic administration & defence vacancies — FAQ
- How many vacancies are there in the UK Public administration & defence sector?
- The UK Public admin & defence; compulsory social security sector had 28,000 unfilled job vacancies in March to May 2026, down 1,000 on the previous quarter and up 0 (0%) on a year earlier. These are real, seasonally adjusted ONS VACS02 estimates (SIC 2007 section O).
- What is the Gera Vacancy Index for Public administration & defence?
- The Gera Vacancy Index for Public admin & defence; compulsory social security is 82 (UK = 100), meaning the sector has a looser labour market than the UK economy. It is computed as the sector's ONS ratio of 1.8 vacancies per 100 employee jobs divided by the UK figure of 2.2, times 100 — a transparent, reproducible calculation.
- Is hiring getting harder or easier in Public administration & defence?
- In Public admin & defence; compulsory social security, the vacancy ratio moved from 1.8 vacancies per 100 jobs a year ago to 1.8 now. Vacancies went from 28,000 to 28,000 over the year (+0%). All figures are real ONS VACS02 estimates; none are modelled.
Compare other UK sectors
- Human health & social work activities123
- Wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles91
- Accommodation & food service activities127
- Professional, scientific & technical activities100
- Administrative & support service activities91
- Manufacturing95
- Education77
- Information & communication127
- Construction91
- Transport & storage91
- Financial & insurance activities136
- Other service activities100
- Arts, entertainment & recreation68
- Real estate activities68
- Water supply, sewerage, waste & remediation132
- Electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply109
- Mining & quarrying114
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Related on GeraJobs
- UK job vacancies — all sectors ranked — and how the Gera Vacancy Index is calculated.
- Gera Pay Index — UK salary by region — how pay varies across the UK, from real ONS ASHE data.
- Post a Public administration & defence vacancy on GeraJobs — reach candidates in this sector now.
Source: ONS Vacancies and jobs in the UK — Vacancies by industry (VACS02) (SIC 2007 section O, series JP9U / JPB7). Figures are March to May 2026, seasonally adjusted, 3-month rolling, released 18 June 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3). The Gera Vacancy Index for Public admin & defence; compulsory social security is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.