Legal Job Market Report – April 2026. Here is our summary of the current state of the UK legal job market.
Locum Recruitment – Quiet
Locum assignments remain low; in March our numbers were down by 50% compared with the previous year. We have seen increased traffic from locum solicitors checking in with us to see if any roles have come up, including a number we rarely hear from who are usually fully booked throughout the year. This is indicative of a very quiet market. However, we are still not seeing a drop in rates being pitched by locums for assignments, which will surely have to happen at some point if the market does not pick up significantly.
Locum assignment updates here.
Permanent Recruitment – Quiet
Permanent recruitment is also quiet. Candidates and firms are not particularly active, and world events appear to be making candidates very nervous about making a move currently. There remains a huge gap between interest in roles from candidates and vacancies being posted, together with a disparity between salary expectations and working arrangements of candidates and firms. No signs of any change here, although more firms are at least talking about remote working options these days rather than flatly refusing to engage.
Permanent vacancies can be viewed here – Search our Live Legal Jobs
Law Firms for Sale – Busy
Law firm M&A activity never appears to be very affected by world events, and there is a steady stream of new firms coming to market (we anticipate May being a busy month for new listings).
We ran a webinar in March, attended by over 75 law firm owners, on retirement and exit strategy. Our next webinar will be on Wednesday May 20th 2026 1-2pm and is going to be a Q&A with an experienced SME law firm M&A solicitor, Harry Winkley from Herrington Carmichael LLP. Ask any question you like, no limits. We expect to be talking about price negotiation, due diligence, common pitfalls with sales, heads of terms preparation, practical considerations, keeping legal costs low, regulatory issues and compliance. Sign up on our website by clicking here:
Full details of firms currently for sale on our website
available here – list updated daily. For valuations, exit planning or a confidential discussion about a potential sale or acquisition generally please call 0800 246 5016 or email jf@jonathanfagan.co.uk. You can also download our free detailed guides on Buying a Law Firm and Selling a Law Firm.
Ten Percent Group statistics for March 2026 (2025 figures in brackets)
- New locum roles added – 13 (26)
- New permanent roles added – 16 (10)
- New candidates added – 32 (38)
- New law firms listed for sale: 2
- Law firms for sale: 54
- Deals going through (heads of terms signed): 5
KPMG & REC Report on Jobs UK – April 2026
This is a monthly report prepared by KPMG following a questionnaire sent to over 400 UK recruitment consultancies, including ourselves.
- Marginal fall in permanent placements and slower drop in temp billings
- Demand for staff falls at softest pace in ten months
- Rates of pay growth ease amid steeper upturn in staff availability
Commentary from Jon Holt, CEO of KPMG UK
“Despite the increased global uncertainty there have been signs this year that the long-term decline in hiring may be starting to stabilise as businesses press ahead with their previously delayed recruitment plans. However, until the wider economic impacts of the conflict in the Middle East start to become clearer, many employers will remain cautious about committing to new roles. If that uncertainty remains, the risk is that hiring decisions and investment are deferred again, delaying any sustained recovery in the jobs market.”
Commentary from Neil Carberry, REC CEO
“The Gulf Conflict provided a headwind to hiring in March, but this did not stop the trend of stabilisation that has defined 2026 so far. The effects of a longer-run crisis are unclear, but the resilience of the jobs market last month was heartening. Permanent placements showed their weakest contraction in three years. Modest growth in London, which usually runs ahead of the national trend, is particularly heartening. Likewise, temporary recruitment fell more slowly than in February, with a sustained upturn in the Midlands a clear trend through the winter.”
