Time is short on these: 6,987 public-sector vacancies on GovJobs close in the seven days from 21 September 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 | 5,799 | 83% | 28 days |
| Schools | 2,973 | 43% | 19 days |
| Councils | 1,567 | 22% | 18 days |
| Universities | 211 | 3% | 17 days |
| Civil Service | 41 | 1% | 19 days |
| Police & emergency | 28 | 0% | 23 days |
| Rail & transport | 17 | 0% | 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Service | £39,767 | £24,871 – £93,667 | 37 |
| NHS | £38,488 | £10,000 – £260,000 | 4,657 |
| Universities | £35,608 | £14,794 – £109,725 | 139 |
| Councils | £32,742 | £10,041 – £151,368 | 1,043 |
| Police & emergency | £32,259 | £15,392 – £90,808 | 24 |
| Schools | £25,995 | £10,010 – £155,000 | 1,645 |
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 West Midlands (1,332, 19%), South East (1,303, 19%), London (1,267, 18%), North West (1,254, 18%), East of England (1,085, 16%) and South West (935, 13%).
Closing soonest
- Midday Assistant — Schools: Lostock Hall Primary School · Stockport · £1,493.00 Annually (Actual)
FTE £25,614 · closes 22 September
- Health and Social Care Trainer - North Essex — Councils: Essex County Council · England · £29468 to £34668 per year · closes 22 September
- WHSCT Children's Continence Nurse Specialist (Band 7) — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · SWAH Southwest Hospital · Band 7 (£47,810 - £54,710) · closes 22 September
- Curriculum Lead of Physics — Schools: Windsor High School and Sixth Form · Halesowen · £32,916.00 - £51,048.00 Annually (FTE)
Plus TLR 2B · closes 22 September
- DBS01128/26 - Teaching Assistant - Woodlawn School — Councils: North Tyneside Council · North East · £21,709 - £22,050 · closes 22 September
- WHSCT_Assistant Director Care & Accommodation & Professional SW Lead_Band 8C — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Altnagelvin Hospital · Band 8c (£76,965 - £88,682) · closes 22 September
- After School Cleaner — Schools: Leventhorpe · Sawbridgeworth · £8,692.78 Annually (Actual)
- Full-time equivalent salary = H1 Scale Point 3 £25,525 per annum (including outer fringe allowance of £729pa) · closes 22 September
- DBS01138/26 - Early Years Practitioner - Battlehill Primary School — Councils: North Tyneside Council · North East · £23,356 - £24,108 · closes 22 September
- WHSCT_Senior Community Staff Nurse (Band 6) — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Western Health & Social Care Trust · Band 6 (£38,682 - £46,580) · closes 22 September
- Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) — Schools: Castle Hill Junior School · Ipswich · £31,015.00 - £33,119.00 Annually (FTE)
Grade 4, Point 15-19 · closes 22 September
- WHSCT_Lead Treatment Radiographer Band 8A — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Altnagelvin Hospital · Band 8a (£55,690 - £62,682 ) · closes 22 September
- Senior Science Technician — Schools: Ashfield Comprehensive School · Nottingham · £26,596.00 - £28,850.00 Annually (Actual)
Grade 4: £26,596 - £28,850 per annum (£29,542 - £32,046 FTE) · closes 22 September
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._