Time is short on these: 7,469 public-sector vacancies on GovJobs close in the seven days from 5 October 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 | 5,868 | 79% | 28 days |
| Schools | 3,673 | 49% | 25 days |
| Councils | 1,505 | 20% | 19 days |
| Universities | 218 | 3% | 16 days |
| Civil Service | 39 | 1% | 17 days |
| Police & emergency | 27 | 0% | 14 days |
| Rail & transport | 16 | 0% | 14 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 | £43,292 | £24,871 – £94,356 | 34 |
| Police & emergency | £39,004 | £13,214 – £79,504 | 22 |
| NHS | £36,943 | £10,108 – £175,000 | 4,664 |
| Universities | £35,608 | £13,192 – £71,566 | 122 |
| Councils | £32,578 | £10,153 – £111,070 | 995 |
| Schools | £26,847 | £10,096 – £155,000 | 1,891 |
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 (1,524, 20%), West Midlands (1,483, 20%), South East (1,387, 19%), London (1,303, 17%), East of England (1,113, 15%) and South West (995, 13%).
Closing soonest
- Receptionist (Part-time) — Schools: Coombe Boys' School · New Malden · £28,026.00 - £29,436.00 Annually (FTE)
Salary Scale C3 - C5 Actual £13,636 - £14,026pa (£28,617pa - £29,436 FTE) · closes 6 October
- Social Care Practitioner (Adult Social Care) - Review & Reassessment Team — Councils: Wokingham Borough Council · Wokingham · £29542 to £32047 per year · closes 6 October
- WHSCT Support Worker Band 3 — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Beltany House, Omagh · Band 3 (£24,937 - £26,598) · closes 6 October
- Teaching Assistant — Schools: Whitehill Primary · Stockport · Scale 3 points 5/6 £17,411 to £17,688 · closes 6 October
- Painter x 2 Posts (INTERNAL ONLY) — Councils: South Tyneside Council · Unit 4 – Middlefields Industrial Estate · £34,811 pa with the addition of a temporary Market Forces Supplement of £2,142 (This supplement is awarded in recognition of current market conditions and is subject to review) · closes 6 October
- WHSCT_Team Secretary Band 3 — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Altnagelvin Harvey Halls · Band 3 (£24,937 - £26,598) · closes 6 October
- Teacher of Science (Maternity Cover) — Schools: The Kingsbrook School · Aylesbury · £34,069.00 - £52,835.00 Annually (Actual)
MPS/UPS £34,069 - £52,835 · closes 6 October
- Attendance and Pastoral Lead — Councils: Durham County Council · West Cornforth DL17 9HP · £31,015 - £34,811 pro rata · closes 6 October
- WHSCT_Project Business Accountant Band 7 — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Altnagelvin MDEC Building · Band 7 (£47,810 - £54,710) · closes 6 October
- Teaching Assistant — Schools: Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Schools · Litherland · £29541 to £33119 per year · closes 6 October
- Semi-Skilled Labourer x 7 Posts (INTERNAL ONLY) — Councils: South Tyneside Council · Unit 4 – Middlefields Industrial Estate · £29,542 pa with the addition of a temporary Market Forces Supplement of £4,856 (This supplement is awarded in recognition of current market conditions and is subject to review) · closes 6 October
- WHSCT_Personal Secretary Band 3 — NHS: Western Health & Social Care Trust · Western Health & Social Care Trust · Band 3 (£24,937 - £26,598) · closes 6 October
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._