Portsmouth City Council is actively seeking to fill 32 job vacancies across the city, offering a variety of roles with salaries ranging from £25,948 to £47,181 per year. As of 12 May 2026, the local authority is advertising positions that range from entry-level openings to specialist professional roles, all of which can be viewed on the council’s careers portal.
Among the current opportunities, the council is hiring a permanent Library Assistant for the North End Library. Other available roles include a fixed-term position for a Graduate Public Health Practitioner based at the Civic Offices, which is open for applications until 7 June 2026, and a fixed-term Personal Assistant to the Head of Service.
The council is also placing a significant focus on social care recruitment. Qualified Social Workers are being sought with salary bands between £39,151 and £47,181. To support these critical hires, the council is offering a £3,000 annual recruitment and retention package, which is paid on a monthly basis.
This push for new staff comes as many local authorities across the country face challenges in filling roles. According to the Local Government Association, 94% of UK councils have reported difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. Locally, these vacancies are being advertised as the council continues to manage its financial position, which has shown improvement, with an overspend of £662,600 in the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year compared to £5.1m in the same period the previous year.
The hiring effort follows the local elections held on 7 May 2026, which saw a shift in the composition of the council. The administration is currently led by the Liberal Democrats, who hold 22 seats, while Reform UK holds 12, Labour holds 4, the Conservatives hold 3, and one councillor is non-aligned. The council is currently navigating broader discussions regarding potential structural changes to local government, which could see the city merged with neighbouring authorities such as Fareham, Gosport, and Havant, a proposal the current administration has formally opposed.
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