Time is short on these: 1,524 public-sector vacancies on GovJobs close in the seven days from 17 August 2026. This is what is running out, which parts of the sector are tightest, and how much notice they gave.
What is closing, by sector
| Sector | Closing | Share | Typical notice given |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS | 4,085 | 268% | 23 days |
| Councils | 1,200 | 79% | 17 days |
| Schools | 594 | 39% | 28 days |
| Universities | 46 | 3% | 19 days |
| Rail & transport | 38 | 2% | 14 days |
| Civil Service | 29 | 2% | 18 days |
| Police & emergency | 15 | 1% | 22 days |
"Typical notice" is the median number of days between an advert being published and its deadline. A short figure means those employers move fast, so a weekly check is not enough to catch them.
What they advertise
| Sector | Median starting salary | Range | Adverts with a salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police & emergency | £42,000 | £27,204 – £117,000 | 15 |
| Civil Service | £41,983 | £27,164 – £80,172 | 25 |
| NHS | £37,259 | £10,000 – £175,000 | 3,335 |
| Councils | £33,178 | £10,227 – £106,224 | 923 |
| Schools | £26,042 | £10,060 – £78,702 | 317 |
These are advertised starting figures, not average earnings, and only cover the adverts that publish a salary — many public-sector roles quote a band or grade instead. Read them as a guide to the market, not a pay survey.
Where they are
The busiest regions were North West (870, 57%), London (755, 50%), South East (717, 47%), South West (610, 40%), East of England (553, 36%) and Scotland (520, 34%).
Closing soonest
- Caretaker – Cambois Primary School — Schools: Northumberland County Council - Schools · North East · FTE £26,403 - £28,142 (for pro-rata amounts please see advert text) · closes 18 August
- Recruitment Advisor — Police & emergency: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service · Washington · £37,280 - £39,152 per annum + benefits (annual pay award pending) · closes 18 August
- Support Worker CFS - Family Time South — Councils: Essex County Council · England · £26284 to £33256 per year · closes 18 August
- Teaching Assistant — Schools: Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy · Preston · £25,185.00 - £25,989.00 Annually (FTE)
NJC Grade 4 SCP 4-6 · closes 18 August
- Mason Paviour — Councils: Newcastle City Council · Newington Rd West · £32,597 - £35,412 per annum. Pay award pending · closes 18 August
- Lecturer in Electrical Installations — Schools: New College Durham · Framwellgate Moor · Teaching and Training Grade TT04-TT07; £37,218 to £44,453 per annum* · closes 19 August
- Learning Assistant Level 2 + SEN — Councils: St Helens Metropolitan Council · St Helens · £18284.3 to £18530 per year · closes 19 August
- Administrator — Schools: Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy · Ilkeston · £8,489.00 - £8,623.00 Annually (Actual)
Grade 2 · closes 19 August
- Senior Project Manager — Councils: Hertfordshire County Council · Stevenage · £48226 to £53460 per year · closes 19 August
- Apprenticeship Skills Co-Ordinator in Electrical Installations — Schools: New College Durham · Framwellgate Moor Campus · Support Grade E; £30,305, plus a Market Rate Supplement (MRS) of £6000 per annum and Recruitment and Retention Payment* · closes 19 August
- Senior Information Analyst – SEND Reform — Councils: Peterborough City Council · Peterborough · £39152 to £42839 per year · closes 19 August
- Extended Services Assistant (Breakfast Club) — Schools: Miers Court Primary School · Rainham · £3,463.47 - £3,502.27 Annually (Actual)
NJC E2 2-3 (salary will increase to the NJC pay scale once the 2026 pay award has been agreed) · closes 19 August
Search them all
These are a sample — browse every role closing this week with the closing-within-7-days filter, or set up a saved search to get deadline alerts by email.
_Every figure above is counted from the GovJobs index — the UK public-sector vacancies we hold at the time of writing — rather than from official statistics, and the live counts change daily. Adverts that carry no salary, region or closing date are excluded from the section that needs them, so section totals will not always match. Applications are always made on the official employer or source website._