Interest in law-related jobs has dropped by a third over the past year, recruitment website data suggests.
The number of jobseekers pursuing legal roles fell by 32.9% between January 2026 and 2025, according to Indeed Hiring Insights data analysed by Witan Solicitors.
Despite continued demand from employers, the number of jobseekers per vacancy dropped by 28.6% year-on-year.
The research also suggests that a third (32%) of job seekers in the sector had two or fewer years of experience.
Qarrar Somji, director of Witan Solicitors, said:
“While many sectors are struggling to grow due to the rising cost of hiring talent, law is facing a slightly different challenge.
“There are simply fewer strong candidates per role. Many professionals are actively opting out of law in favour of roles with greater flexibility, predictability, and work–life balance, even if that means walking away from higher salaries.
“This trend reflects a broader shift in career priorities, particularly among younger workers, who are increasingly unwilling to trade personal well-being for traditional markers of success.”
He added:
“Lawyers are central to how our justice system works, and if the profession is no longer appealing to new generations, the consequences will extend far beyond individual firms.”
The data analysed by Witan Solicitors was gathered from recruitment website Indeed’s Employer Hiring Insights tool.
It revealed that in January 2025 there were 9,859 jobseekers in the sector, compared with 6,615 exactly 12 months later.
In January 2025 there were 28 jobseekers per job; in the first month of this year, there were 20 jobseekers per job.
