“IT hiring is up 18% this year already.” Despite everything else happening in the market. That tells you one thing: Digital capability is no longer optional. It’s core infrastructure. The businesses still investing here are the ones thinking long term.

“The biggest shift in marketing isn’t volume. It’s role design.” Generalists are growing. Specialists are declining. Fewer silos. More commercial ownership. Broader accountability. Top candidates already work this way. The market is catching up.

“The marketing market isn’t flat. It’s uneven.” Headline data says stable. Reality says selective. Some regions up 6–8%. Others down double digits. Demand is shifting fast. Not a slow market. A selective one.

“Marketing roles are down 20%+ YoY in early 2026.” Marketing matters. But expectations changed. Less brand. More revenue accountability. More commercial integration. Hiring briefs are already reflecting the shift.

“Sales hiring is up 50%+ in early 2026.” Not a coincidence. When markets tighten, hiring moves closer to revenue. Sales is accelerating faster than any other function in the North West. Commercial operators are back at the centre.

“Hiring hasn’t slowed. It’s been filtered.” 34,000+ professional vacancies were added in the North West last year. But the story isn’t volume. It’s intent. Hiring is shifting toward revenue, technical capability, and operational resilience. Not contraction. Precision.

Growth is back in the South West—but controlled. +7.9% hiring into 2026 IT, engineering & sales leading Marketing ↓ 17% ROI-led hiring: Tech, revenue, delivery ↑ Brand & non-essential ↓ Fewer companies driving growth = more competition & higher hiring pressure.

The IT hiring market didn’t slow. It got sharper. +15.2% roles in 2025 +18.1% in early 2026 Engineering ↑ Infra & leadership ↑ Support ↓ This isn’t volume hiring. It’s capability hiring. The bar is higher—and the talent gap is widening.

Marketing hiring isn’t down. It’s evolving. Flat on paper. Fragmented in reality. London dominates Regions rising Tech ↓ | Consumer ↑ But the real shift: Generalists up Specialists down CMOs aren’t hiring for channels anymore. They’re hiring for impact.

The North West talent market has shifted. More roles. Higher bar. Sales ↑ Tech dominating Marketing tightening London clients aren’t asking “who’s best?” anymore. They’re asking: “Who delivers impact in 12 months?” That’s the new hiring brief.