Retail Contract Job Trends in the South East
Retailing
England > South East
The table below looks at the prevalence of the term Retail in contract job vacancies in the South East. Included is a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered in vacancies that cited Retail over the 6 months leading up to 19 October 2026, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 19 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 87 | 86 | 83 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -1 | -3 | +23 |
| Contract jobs citing Retail | 165 | 87 | 102 |
| As % of all contract jobs in the South East | 2.52% | 2.41% | 2.39% |
| As % of the General category | 4.58% | 4.13% | 4.45% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 98 | 50 | 50 |
| 10th Percentile | £163 | £300 | £200 |
| 25th Percentile | £456 | £488 | £406 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £575 | £529 | £513 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +8.64% | +3.27% | +2.50% |
| 75th Percentile | £675 | £638 | £638 |
| 90th Percentile | £738 | £719 | £660 |
| England median daily rate | £550 | £525 | £525 |
| % change year-on-year | +4.76% | - | -0.47% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 13 | 7 | 3 |
| 10th Percentile | £13.45 | - | - |
| 25th Percentile | £14.20 | £16.17 | - |
| Median hourly rate | £15.22 | £16.34 | £16.00 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -6.83% | +2.09% | -27.27% |
| 75th Percentile | £22.50 | £16.50 | - |
| 90th Percentile | - | - | - |
| England median hourly rate | £14.50 | £16.34 | £19.44 |
| % change year-on-year | -11.23% | -15.95% | -1.89% |
All General Skills
South East
Retail falls under the General Skills category. For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all contract job vacancies requiring general skills in the South East.
| 6 months to 19 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract vacancies with a requirement for general skills | 3,605 | 2,105 | 2,290 |
| As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the South East | 55.01% | 58.23% | 53.73% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 1,793 | 1,333 | 1,312 |
| 10th Percentile | £263 | £200 | £225 |
| 25th Percentile | £405 | £350 | £363 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £514 | £485 | £500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +5.98% | -3.00% | -0.20% |
| 75th Percentile | £625 | £585 | £608 |
| 90th Percentile | £725 | £664 | £681 |
| England median daily rate | £525 | £500 | £525 |
| % change year-on-year | +5.00% | -4.76% | -4.55% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 620 | 210 | 127 |
| 10th Percentile | £13.50 | £13.00 | £14.50 |
| 25th Percentile | £16.70 | £15.14 | £26.00 |
| Median hourly rate | £32.81 | £20.00 | £53.00 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +64.03% | -62.26% | +1.92% |
| 75th Percentile | £67.59 | £32.66 | £70.00 |
| 90th Percentile | £88.08 | £71.55 | £75.00 |
| England median hourly rate | £28.00 | £25.00 | £33.65 |
| % change year-on-year | +12.00% | -25.69% | +12.15% |
Retail Job Vacancy Trend in the South East
Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing Retail relative to all contract IT jobs advertised in the South East.
Retail Daily Rate Trend in the South East
Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the South East citing Retail.
Retail Daily Rate Histogram in the South East
Daily rate distribution for jobs citing Retail in the South East over the 6 months to 19 October 2026.
Retail Hourly Rate Trend in the South East
Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the South East citing Retail.
Retail Hourly Rate Histogram in the South East
Hourly rate distribution of jobs citing Retail in the South East over the 6 months to 19 October 2026.
Retail Contract Job Locations in the South East
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median contractor rates quoted in IT jobs citing Retail within the South East region over the 6 months to 19 October 2026. The 'Rank Change' column provides an indication of the change in demand within each location based on the same 6 month period last year.
| Location | Rank Change on Same Period Last Year |
Matching Contract IT Job Ads |
Median Daily Rate Past 6 Months |
Median Daily Rate % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thames Valley | -3 | 92 | £613 | +11.36% | 131 |
| Berkshire | -4 | 52 | £688 | +30.95% | 89 |
| Hampshire | -12 | 44 | £480 | -8.57% | 46 |
| Buckinghamshire | -16 | 23 | £403 | -42.43% | 27 |
| Oxfordshire | -16 | 17 | £675 | +22.73% | 15 |
| Kent | +1 | 11 | £155 | -72.98% | 22 |
| Surrey | -8 | 11 | £175 | -41.67% | 31 |
| West Sussex | - | 4 | £550 | - | 19 |
| Home Counties | - | 2 | £650 | - | |
| Retail England |
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Retail Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South East by Category
The table below expands on the one above by listing co-occurrences one category at a time. It covers the same employment type, locality and period, with up to 20 co-occurrences in each category.
General
| Rank | Skill | Share | Job Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Skills | 30.9% | 51 |
| 2 | Finance | 24.8% | 41 |
| 3 | Analytical Skills | 13.3% | 22 |
| 4 | Marketing | 12.7% | 21 |
| 5 | French Language | 7.9% | 13 |
| 5 | Spanish Language | 7.9% | 13 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 4.2% | 7 |
| 8 | Public Sector | 3.6% | 6 |
| 9 | Influencing Skills | 3.0% | 5 |
| 9 | Telecoms | 3.0% | 5 |
| 11 | Automotive | 2.4% | 4 |
| 11 | Banking | 2.4% | 4 |
| 11 | Legal | 2.4% | 4 |
| 11 | Organisational Skills | 2.4% | 4 |
| 15 | Documentation Skills | 1.2% | 2 |
| 15 | Local Government | 1.2% | 2 |
| 17 | Advertising | 0.6% | 1 |
| 17 | German Language | 0.6% | 1 |
| 17 | Inclusion and Diversity | 0.6% | 1 |
| 17 | Presentation Skills | 0.6% | 1 |