VacancySoft Insights Oct 2025

October was a month of consolidation for the UK telecoms labour market. After steady growth through the first half of the year, activity eased in September, marking the first monthly decline since early 2025. Yet, despite this slowdown, the sector remains in a stronger position than last year, supported by government investment, digital infrastructure projects and renewed momentum from major network operators. Overall vacancy levels across telecoms are projected to finish the year around 5.4% higher than in 2024, signalling that the fundamentals of the industry remain healthy even amid short-term fluctuations.

Recruitment data show that the temporary slowdown is largely cyclical, reflecting project timing rather than weakening sentiment. As the industry continues to modernise networks and integrate new technologies, companies are actively hiring in critical areas such as IT, cloud, network engineering and data management. This transformation is being driven by two powerful forces: government-backed initiatives to extend high-speed connectivity across the country, and operators’ own strategic programmes to improve efficiency and competitiveness through automation and AI. The result is an ongoing demand for highly skilled professionals capable of managing complex system upgrades and ensuring secure, scalable digital infrastructure.

IT vacancies within telecoms continue to outperform most other professional categories. Activity remains 12% higher than last year, highlighting the ongoing scale-up in cloud migration, data analytics and network automation projects. Employers are particularly focused on recruiting experienced IT managers to oversee digital transformation efforts. These roles now account for roughly one-third of all technology hiring in telecoms, reflecting the growing importance of leadership in coordinating cross-functional modernisation and integrating new technologies into existing systems. Skills in cloud architecture, DevOps, data strategy and AI implementation are now central to recruitment plans across the major telecoms operators.

Engineering hiring has also accelerated, with September seeing a three-year high in vacancies for network and infrastructure specialists. This is being fuelled by nationwide fibre deployment programmes and 5G network expansion.

Openreach remains at the forefront of this movement, aiming to pass 25 million premises with full fibre by the end of 2026, while other operators, including Virgin Media O2, CityFibre and Hyperoptic, continue to scale their own rollout plans. Ofcom’s Connected Nations – Planned Network Deployments 2025 report underscores the scope of this expansion, with hundreds of local projects under way and additional government funding committed through the £5 billion Project Gigabit scheme. Engineering demand is therefore set to remain strong well into next year, supported by the ongoing migration from copper to fibre and the complete PSTN switch-off scheduled for January 2027.

Regional hiring patterns show that London and the South East continue to dominate recruitment, accounting for the majority of engineering and IT roles. London alone is on track to record a 29% year-on-year increase in engineering vacancies among the top 50 telecoms employers. This concentration reflects the clustering of network operations centres, innovation hubs and AI integration projects in the capital. However, activity is also beginning to extend outward, with southern regions overtaking London in total developer hiring for the first time. The South now represents roughly 38% of all software vacancies in telecoms, supported by the growth of regional tech clusters and hybrid working practices that allow firms to recruit talent beyond the capital.

While the Midlands remains the only region showing year-on-year declines, the national picture is still one of cautious optimism. The industry is gradually stabilising after a volatile few years, balancing cost pressures with long-term investment in infrastructure and technology. Telecoms is increasingly being treated as critical national infrastructure, placing it alongside energy and transport in terms of policy significance. This recognition is driving greater alignment between government objectives and corporate investment strategies, helping sustain employment even in periods of softer demand.

Looking ahead, the outlook for telecoms recruitment remains constructive. The combination of continued government backing, accelerating digital transformation, and structural demand for engineering and IT talent points to another year of solid performance in 2026. Employers are likely to continue prioritising technical specialists who can deliver network automation, AI-driven optimisation and secure data operations. While overall hiring volumes may fluctuate seasonally, the strategic direction of the sector is clear: telecoms is entering a new phase of digital maturity, and the professionals driving this transition remain in exceptionally high demand.

Please contact the Telecoms Team
Anya Brown – abrown@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Richard Giles – rgiles@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Murray West – mwest@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Efthymios Antoniadis – efthymios@fuelrecruitment.co.uk

About Fuel Recruitment
Fuel Recruitment is a technical recruitment consultancy with 20+ years
of experience in telecoms. We specialise in placing expert professionals
across engineering, delivery, and digital transformation roles.