Vacancy Tracker- August 2026

Motor trade vacancies rise while UK total falls

Motor trade vacancies increased for the second reporting period in a row, reaching around 17,000 in June to August 2026. Across the UK, the total number of vacancies fell slightly.

The sector’s job openings rate, which compares vacancies with the number of employee jobs, rose to 2.8%. This was the joint second-highest rate among UK industries.

At a glance

• Motor trades job openings rate: 2.8
• UK industry rank: joint second out of 23
• Vacancies in June to August 2026: around 17,000
• Change from May to July 2026: +6%
• Change from June to August 2025: broadly unchanged
• Change from June to August 2024: -15%

Vacancy levels rise for a second period

There were around 17,000 motor trade vacancies in June to August 2026, compared with 16,000 in May to July. Over the same reporting periods, the UK total fell from 706,000 to 702,000.

The motor trade increase was the second in a row in the rolling three-month estimates. Vacancies were broadly unchanged from a year earlier, however, and stayed 15% below June to August 2024.

Motor trades record joint second-highest job openings rate

The motor trade sector moved from joint fifth to joint second for its job openings rate in June to August 2026. This was its highest ranking since July to September 2025.

At 2.8%, motor trades shared second place with accommodation and food service activities, and financial and insurance activities. Only mining and quarrying recorded a higher rate, at 2.9%.

Motor trades reached their highest job openings ranking since July to September 2025

The all-industry rate fell from 2.2% to 2.1%. The gap between motor trades and the all-industry rate widened from 0.3 to 0.7 percentage points.

Motor trades still had fewer vacancies than in 2024, but their vacancy rate stayed above the all-industry rate. The widening gap suggests that recruitment pressure in the sector has increased relative to the wider economy.

Job postings rise across most occupations

Automotive online job postings rose by 22% in August compared with August 2025. Seven of the eight occupations tracked recorded increases.

Vehicle technicians, mechanics, and electricians accounted for 72% of postings. Postings for this group rose by 22% compared with August 2025 and by 17% compared with August 2024.

Automotive job postings rose by 22% year on year, with increases across seven of the eight occupations tracked

Among the other occupations, postings for vehicle valeters and cleaners rose by 49% compared with August 2025. Postings increased by 41% for vehicle body builders and repairers and by 38% for vehicle paint technicians.

Tyre, exhaust, and windscreen fitters were the only occupation group with fewer postings than in both August 2025 and August 2024. Postings fell by 15% and 20%, respectively.

These increases suggest employers are recruiting across several types of automotive work. Careers advice can reflect this range of roles, while training plans should recognise that core technician roles account for most advertised demand.

Service technician job postings grow fastest

Among the ten leading job-title groups, service technician postings grew fastest, rising by 155% compared with August 2025. Vehicle technician titles accounted for the largest group, with 10,180 postings, 25% more than a year earlier.

Postings for body repair technicians increased by 59%, and postings for valets rose by 53% compared with August 2025. Fast-fit technician postings fell by 16%.

Service technician job postings rose by 155% compared with August 2025

Heavy vehicle technician postings increased by 5% compared with August 2025 and by 19% compared with August 2024. Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) technician and HGV mechanic titles accounted for 97% of this group.

The latest IMI Education Report also shows growth in heavy vehicle training. Heavy vehicle was one of only two qualification pathways where certificate numbers increased in every quarter of 2025. The heavy vehicle apprenticeship standard also recorded the strongest growth among the major automotive standards.

EV-related skill mentions rise

Mentions of the seven electric vehicle (EV) skills tracked rose by 83%, from 1,167 in August 2025 to 2,135 in August 2026. This was the second August in a row that mentions increased.

Employers mentioned “Electric Vehicles” more often than any other EV-related term tracked. “Electrical Systems” and “Electrical Diagnostics and Repairs” were the next most common.

Mentions of these skills grew faster than the 22% increase in automotive job postings overall. This suggests employers are placing more emphasis on EV-related knowledge and skills.

The IMI’s latest EV TechSafe Technician Forecast projects a shortfall of more than 43,000 EV-qualified technicians by 2035. This supports including EV skills in training for new technicians and ongoing development for those already working in the sector.

Customer service is the most demanded skill

Mentions of eight of the ten leading skills increased in August 2026 compared with August 2025. A year earlier, mentions of eight of the ten had fallen.

Customer service appeared in 7,058 job postings, more than any other skill tracked. Employers mentioned it in 57% more postings than a year earlier.

Eight of the ten leading skills appeared in more job postings than a year earlier

Vehicle inspection recorded the largest increase in mentions, at 162%. Mentions of vehicle maintenance rose by 38%. Attention to detail appeared in more than twice as many postings, while mentions of communication increased by 60% and problem solving by 33%.

Sales and management were the only leading skills that employers mentioned less often. Mentions of sales fell by 9%, and management by 7%.

Mentions of customer service, communication, and problem solving all grew faster than the 22% increase in automotive job postings overall. This suggests employers are placing more emphasis on these skills alongside technical ability

August in summary

The combined data point to a continued rise in recruitment activity. Motor trade vacancies rose for the second reporting period in a row, and the sector recorded the joint second-highest job openings rate. Automotive online job postings increased by 22% compared with August 2025.

However, motor trade vacancies were 15% below June to August 2024, and job postings did not increase across every role. Postings for tyre, fast-fit, and roadside roles were lower than in August 2025, August 2024, or both.

Data sources

This report combines vacancy data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with online job advertisement data from Lightcast.

The job openings rate measures vacancies as a percentage of all jobs, including filled and vacant jobs. ONS introduced this measure in 2026 to replace its previous ratio of vacancies per 100 employee jobs.