Use your own order workload and the full cost of paid help to plan seasonal staffing, rather than copying a national percentage.
THE SOURCED NEWS
Read the periods as well as the headline
The ONS’s early, seasonally adjusted estimate puts UK vacancies at 691,000 for July to September 2026, 21,000 fewer than in April to June. The release says that change is within an approximate plus-or-minus 32,000 confidence interval, so a short-term movement needs care.
A separate release reports 3.7% annual growth in average regular employee pay, excluding bonuses, in Great Britain for June to August 2026. This is before adjusting for inflation. Both releases were published on 20 October; their reference periods and geographical coverage differ.
SELLERBUNDLE PRACTICAL ANALYSIS
SellerBundle: count the work an extra person would take on
Write down the tasks that are building up: packing orders, answering messages, preparing artwork or keeping records. Estimate the hours you need and the weeks you need them for. That gives you a clearer starting point than assuming a national jobs figure describes your shop.
Then list the full costs you expect: pay, any employer costs, equipment and the time someone will spend training or checking the work. Use your actual payroll information and current quotes. An extra pair of hands can be useful even when national vacancies fall, but the numbers still need to work for your business.
SELLERBUNDLE PRACTICAL ANALYSIS
Test a quieter week before making the plan permanent
Put the proposed costs into your cash-flow planner alongside realistic receipts. Run a second version with fewer orders or slower customer payments. Check whether enough money remains for stock, delivery and the bills that already fall due.
If you work alone, use the same exercise to compare a small amount of paid help with simplifying one repetitive task. Keep the practical question clear: which option frees useful time at a cost the business can sustain? Save the assumptions and a date to review what actually happened.
GO TO THE ORIGINAL
Check the sources.
ONS: Vacancies and jobs in the UK, October 2026; includes uncertainty notes ↗
Published 20 Oct 2026
ONS: Average weekly earnings in Great Britain, October 2026 ↗
Published 20 Oct 2026
This is an original SellerBundle explanation with practical editorial suggestions. Check current official terms and suitability before changing your business processes.