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10/8/26 Indeed Mid-Year Labour Market Update: UK job Postings are down 11% Since The Start of 2026 and 32% Below Pre-pandemic Levels

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10/8/26 Indeed Mid-Year Labour Market Update: UK job Postings are down 11% Since The Start of 2026 and 32% Below Pre-pandemic Levels

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Indeed Mid-Year Labour Market Update: UK job Postings are down 11% Since The Start of 2026 and 32% Below Pre-pandemic Levels | FE News

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| Indeed Mid-Year Labour Market Update: UK job Postings are down 11% Since The Start of 2026 and 32% Below Pre-pandemic Levels

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8/4/26 Labour market overview, UK: March 2026

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8/4/26 Labour market overview, UK: March 2026

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Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 96,000 (0.3%) between January 2025 and January 2026, but increased by 6,000 (0.0%) between December 2025 and January 2026. This is based on administrative data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

When looking at November 2025 to January 2026, the period comparable with our Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, the number of payrolled employees fell by 109,000 (0.4%) over the year and by 31,000 (0.1%) over the quarter.

The early estimate of payrolled employees for February 2026 decreased by 49,000 (0.2%) on the year, but increased by 20,000 (0.1%) on the month, to 30.3 million. The February 2026 estimate should be treated as a provisional estimate and is likely to be revised when more data are received next month. Information on revisions to payrolled employees is published monthly. We have published analysis of recent revisions in our LFS quality update article.

Estimates from January to March 2025 include the full effect of the improvements in LFS data collection and sampling methods introduced from January 2024. However, since then, we have increased the number of interviewers for the LFS, which has continued to increase the number of responses to the survey. Consequently, estimates may be subject to the effect of these further improvements, which may have an ongoing impact on the survey. An increased volatility will remain in the LFS estimates for mid-2023 and throughout 2024, so we would advise additional caution when interpreting survey change measures.

We recommend using LFS estimates as part of our suite of labour market indicators, alongside workforce jobs, Claimant Count and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) estimates.

The UK employment rate based on the LFS for people aged 16 to 64 years was estimated at 75.1% in November 2025 to January 2026. This is up in the latest quarter and above estimates of a year ago.

The UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over was estimated at 5.2% in November 2025 to January 2026. This is up in the latest quarter and above estimates of a year ago.

The UK economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 years was estimated at 20.7% in November 2025 to January 2026. This is down in the latest quarter and below estimates of a year ago.

The UK Claimant Count for February 2026 increased on the month but decreased on the year to an estimated 1.692 million. The Claimant Count figure for the latest month is provisional and is subject to revisions after first publication. This is the result of later amendments to records in the administrative systems, for example, as work capability assessments conclude and more information is available about benefit claimants' ability to work. Revisions in recent months have tended to be made downwards, as shown in our LFS quality update article. Further information on Claimant Count revisions is published each month.

The estimated number of vacancies in the UK has remained broadly flat across recent periods. Early estimates for December 2025 to February 2026 suggest a small decrease of 6,000 (0.8%), to 721,000, compared with September to November 2025.

The estimated number of workforce jobs in the UK was 36.6 million in December 2025. This is an increase of 33,000 (0.1%) from September 2025, with an increase of 60,000 (0.2%) in the employee jobs component, but a decrease of 28,000 (0.7%) in the self-employment jobs component. Over the year, the estimated number of workforce jobs was down by 266,000 (0.7%), with decreases of 25,000 (0.1%) in the employee jobs component and 242,000 (5.6%) in the self-employment jobs component.

Employment in the public sector was estimated at 6.19 million in December 2025, an increase of 6,000 (0.1%) compared with September 2025, and an increase of 43,000 (0.7%) compared with December 2024.

Annual growth in employees'' average earnings in Great Britain was 3.8% for regular earnings (excluding bonuses) and 3.9% for total earnings (including bonuses) in November 2025 to January 2026.

Annual average regular earnings growth was 5.9% for the public sector and 3.3% for the private sector. The public sector annual growth rate is affected by some public sector pay rises being paid earlier in 2025 than in 2024. This has caused a base effect that reached its peak in the three months to November 2025 and will phase out over the next few periods.

We also publish RTI pay data, which provide a provisional, timelier estimate of median pay. The two data sources generally trend well for mean total pay.

Annual growth in real terms, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH), was 0.4% for regular pay and 0.5% for total pay in November 2025 to January 2026.

Annual growth in real terms, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index excluding owner occupiers' housing costs (CPI), was 0.5% for regular pay and 0.7% for total pay in November 2025 to January 2026.

There were an estimated 31,000 working days lost because of labour disputes across the UK in January 2026.

This bulletin includes data from business and social surveys, as well as data from administrative sources. It includes a combination of accredited official statistics and official statistics in development, so we advise taking this into consideration when using. Read more in Section 7: Data sources and quality

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3. Trends and considerations around comparisons

This section provides additional commentary to help users assess differences between the employment-related data sources we publish.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is our survey of households and remains the lead measure for data on labour market participation. Workforce jobs (WFJ) primarily uses business surveys to measure employee jobs with the LFS covering self-employed jobs. HM Revenue and Customs Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) data come from administrative tax records and cover only payrolled employees.

Because these sources are collected and processed differently, differences in levels are expected (for example, jobs compared with people, or varying reference periods). Divergence across indicators for more than one period is not unusual.

Despite the coherence challenges, the LFS remains the sole source for unemployment, economic inactivity and self-employment data, offering detailed breakdowns unavailable elsewhere.

Recent revisions and improvements

We have updated our estimates of WFJ in our March 2026 labour market publication. In the latest period, the employee component of WFJ showed a quarterly increase after two consecutive quarterly decreases. WFJ can sometimes lag other indicators, as seen at the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As part of ongoing work to address quality concerns with the LFS, response levels and rates have shown clear improvement, with responses now close to their pre-coronavirus level. The achieved sample, including imputed cases (the dataset size), has increased from 75,757 individuals in July to September 2025 to 77,927 individuals in October to December 2025, as shown in our LFS performance and quality monitoring report: October to December 2025. Our assessment is that efforts to bolster the achieved sample have improved the quality of the survey and moved the LFS measure of employment closer to levels indicated by RTI (see Figure 1).

These enhancements, introduced since January 2024, mean that movements in the LFS over the past year reflect both underlying developments in the economy and improved survey quality (including obtaining more responses from employed people). As a result, while levels have moved closer to RTI, measures of change may be less aligned with RTI because they capture both real labour market shifts and changes arising from the survey improvements.

Latest employee data

The three employee indicators over a longer time series are presented in Figure 1. RTI and the employee component of WFJ generally follow similar trends although have diverged in some periods.

Coherence between the LFS employees and the other sources has continued to improve in recent periods, although differences do remain. Over the last year, LFS employee-level estimates have aligned more closely with RTI and WFJ, helped by recent operational improvements to the LFS. As movements in the LFS over the past year reflect both underlying developments in the economy and improved survey quality, we continue to advise caution when comparing current LFS results with earlier periods.

Our view remains that RTI currently provides the most reliable measure of employees. It has fallen since its peak in 2024, however, has been broadly flat in recent periods. The latest flash estimate shows a small monthly increase, although this is subject to revision when more data are received next month.

Figure 1: LFS employees have been converging with RTI and WFJ over the last year

Comparison of employee estimates over time, UK, July to September 2014 to November 2025 to January 2026

Source: Labour Force Survey, Real Time Information and workforce jobs data from the Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Three-month averages of RTI payrolled employees have been used here for comparability.

2. Workforce jobs are published for the months of March, June, September and December. For presentational purposes, they have been plotted against the middle month of the time period shown. For example, March is plotted against February to April.

Download this chart

Further information

In order to deepen our understanding of possible bias in our surveys, we have also launched a new project to link LFS and Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) survey data with HMRC PAYE data at the record level.

Alongside the labour market release in January, we published our Labour Force Survey quality update: January 2026 article. The article provides information about current response rates, trends and known biases in LFS data, and provides users with information to better understand the current quality of the data.
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View all related data on our related data page.

Alternatively, Nomis provides free access to the most detailed and up-to-date UK labour market statistics.
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Average weekly earnings

Average weekly earnings (AWE) are calculated using information based on the Monthly Wages and Salaries Survey (MWSS).

AWE measures money paid by employers to employees in Great Britain before tax and other deductions from pay. The estimates are not just a measure of pay rises, because they also reflect, for example, changes in the overall structure of the workforce. More high-paid jobs in the economy would have an upward effect on the earnings growth rate.

Economic inactivity

People not in the labour force who are not in employment but do not meet the internationally accepted definition of unemployment. This is because they have not been seeking work within the last four weeks or they are unable to start work in the next two weeks. The economic inactivity rate is the proportion of people aged between 16 and 64 years who are not in the labour force. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates are official statistics in development.

Employment

Employment measures the number of people in paid work or who had a job that they were temporarily away from (for example, because they were on holiday or off sick). This differs from the number of jobs because some people have more than one job. The employment rate is the proportion of people aged between 16 and 64 years who are in employment. The LFS estimates are official statistics in development.

Unemployment

Unemployment measures people without a job who have been actively seeking work within the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks. The unemployment rate is not the proportion of the total population who are unemployed. It is the proportion of the economically active population (people in work and those seeking and available to work) who are unemployed. The LFS estimates are official statistics in development.

Claimant Count

The Claimant Count is an official statistic in development that measures the number of people who are receiving a benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed. Currently, the Claimant Count consists of those receiving Jobseeker's Allowance, and Universal Credit claimants in the "searching for work" conditionality group.

Vacancies

Vacancies are defined as positions for which employers are actively seeking recruits from outside their business or organisation. The estimates are based on the Vacancy Survey. This is a survey of businesses designed to provide estimates of the stock of vacancies across the economy, excluding agriculture, forestry and fishing (a small sector for which the collection of estimates would not be practical).

Pay As You Earn Real Time Information

These data come from HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC's) Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) system. They cover the whole population, rather than a sample of people or companies, and they will allow for more detailed estimates of the population.

In July 2025, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) published a letter confirming the accreditation of HMRC and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on earnings and employment from PAYE RTI.

A more detailed glossary is available in our Guide to labour market statistics methodology.
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7. Data sources and quality

The estimates presented in this bulletin contain uncertainty. For more information, see our Uncertainty and how we measure it methodology.

Information on revisions is available in our Labour market statistics revisions policy.

Information on the strengths and limitations of this bulletin is available in Section 13 of our Labour market overview, UK: April 2021 bulletin.

Further information is available in our Guide to labour market statistics methodology.

Accredited official statistics

On 7 June 2024, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) introduced the new accredited official statistics badge, to denote official statistics that have been independently reviewed by the OSR. Accredited official statistics comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

This UK labour market bulletin includes a combination of accredited official statistics and official statistics in development (until September 2023, these were called "experimental statistics"). Read more about the change in our Guide to official statistics in development.

The following labour market outputs are accredited official statistics:

Earnings and employment from Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) (accredited by the OSR in July 2025)

Labour disputes (rapid review completed by the OSR in February 2023)

Vacancy statistics (reviewed by the OSR in April 2022)

Workforce jobs (WFJ) (reviewed by the OSR in April 2022)

Average weekly earnings (AWE) (reviewed by OSR in December 2014)

The following labour market outputs are official statistics in development:

Labour Force Survey

We have been facing the challenge of falling response rates for household surveys, as have other comparable countries. This issue became more acute in the LFS data collected for August 2023. The LFS estimates due to be published in October 2023 were suspended because of quality concerns. We developed a comprehensive plan to address these concerns and reintroduce LFS, as described in our Labour Force Survey: planned improvements and its reintroduction methodology. We reinstated reweighted LFS estimates into our monthly publication from February 2024, as described in our Impact of reweighting on LFS key indicators: 2024 article. In December 2024, we carried out a further LFS reweighting exercise, based on 2022 mid-year estimates.

Estimates from January to March 2025 include the full effect of the improvements in LFS data collection and sampling methods introduced from January 2024. However, since then, we have increased the number of interviewers for the LFS, which has continued to increase the number of responses to the survey. Consequently, estimates may be subject to the effect of these further improvements, which may have an ongoing impact on survey results. An increased volatility will remain in the LFS estimates for mid-2023 and throughout 2024, so we would advise additional caution when interpreting survey change measures. We recommend using LFS estimates as part of our suite of labour market indicators, alongside workforce jobs, Claimant Count and PAYE RTI estimates.

We are continuing to improve the quality of the LFS, building on our work to date. The achieved sample, including imputed cases (the dataset size), has increased from 75,757 individuals in July to September 2025 to 77,927 individuals in October to December 2025, as shown in our LFS performance and quality monitoring report: October to December 2025.

More information on LFS quality can be found in our LFS quality update: January 2026 article.

Coherence of data sources

Understanding coherence challenges around our employment indicators continues to be a priority.

LFS reweighting has improved the coherence picture, as strong population growth in recent years is now incorporated into our estimates of all three labour market statuses.

We are also exploring how best to consider coherence between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) PAYE RTI data and WFJ. As the former is essentially focused on employees, we recommend comparison with the employee jobs component of WFJ to align coverage of populations. One other important difference is that the RTI statistics published each month are a measure of people, rather than jobs, as in WFJ.

Our Comparison of labour market data sources methodology compares data sources and discusses some of the main differences.

More information on coherence of our labour market data sources can also be found in our LFS quality update article.

Labour market transformation

We have provided an update on the transformation of labour market statistics in our Labour market transformation update on progress and plans: November 2025 article.

We welcome your feedback on this latest update and our plans. Please email us at labour.market. transformation@ons.gov.uk to tell us what you think.

Coronavirus

For more information on how labour market data sources were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see our Coronavirus and the effects on UK labour market statistics article.

Making our published spreadsheets accessible

Following the Government Statistical Service (GSS) guidance on releasing statistics in spreadsheets, we will be amending our published tables over the coming months to improve the usability, accessibility and machine readability of our published statistics. To help users change to the new formats, we will be publishing sample versions of a selection of our tables and, where practical, we will initially publish the tables in both the new and current formats. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at labour.market@ons.gov.uk.

Pre-release data

The Bank of England was granted exceptional pre-release access to our Labour market overview, UK: March 2026 bulletin and accompanying tables at 8:00am on Monday 16 March 2026. This was so that the data were available for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held that day. For further information, see the Exchange of letters requesting exceptional pre-release access.
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Labour market overview, UK - Office for National Statistics

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Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK.

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16/3/26 The Future of AI and Skills: An Industry Perspective

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16/3/26 The Future of AI and Skills: An Industry Perspective

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The Future of AI and Skills: An Industry Perspective | FE News

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| The Future of AI and Skills: An Industry Perspective

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Employers and training providers: Understanding the Your Apprenticeship App

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24/2/26 Top hiring trends for recruiting new talent in 2026

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24/2/26 Top hiring trends for recruiting new talent in 2026

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Hiring trends in 2026 are shaped by a mix of technology, flexibility and focusing on people as individuals. Let's look at how these factors can support your recruitment efforts this year.

AI as a recruitment tool

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a staple of modern recruitment, and it's one of the most talked-about hiring trends for good reason. AI can help to automate time-consuming tasks like CV screening, interview scheduling and candidate matching, giving HR teams more time to focus on human interaction and decision making.

Skills-based hiring

Skills-based hiring is gaining momentum as employers reassess how they define a strong candidate. Rather than focusing heavily on qualifications or job titles, this approach prioritises practical skills, behaviours, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world situations.

Candidate engagement initiatives

Candidate engagement has become a defining factor in whether organisations secure top talent. With candidates often juggling multiple applications, a slow or impersonal recruitment process can damage your reputation and lead to dropouts. As well as missing out on talent yourself, this could also mean giving your competitors the edge as disengaged candidates look elsewhere.

Strong engagement means clear communication, realistic timelines, and a positive experience from application to offer. Poor engagement doesn't just affect hiring outcomes; it can impact employer branding and future applications too. Learning how to boost engagement during the recruitment process will help candidates to feel valued and informed, even if they're ultimately unsuccessful.

Attracting Gen X and beyond

While Gen X remains a vital part of the workforce, attention is increasingly turning to younger generations entering employment. Gen Alpha, born from 2010 onwards, will soon be taking on apprenticeships, work experience placements and entry-level roles, bringing their own ideas about how work should fit into their lives.

Flexibility as standard

Over the last few years, flexible working has shifted from being a perk to being a deal breaker, making it one of the most influential hiring trends in 2026. Candidates increasingly expect this to be built into roles as standard, whether that's through remote roles, hybrid working, flexible hours or alternative working patterns.

Employer branding

Employer branding refers to how your organisation presents itself as a place to work. It's the reason why someone should choose to work for you over another organisation offering a similar role and salary. Rather than just an inviting careers page or a catchy slogan, employer branding should reflect the day-to-day experience of your employees and the story they tell about your organisation to the outside world.

Hiring with retention in mind

To improve employee retention , design your job roles and recruitment process to highlight career development and growth opportunities from the start. Look for candidates whose skills and goals align with internal progression plans, and make it clear during interviews how the organisation supports learning, promotes from within, and provides clear pathways for advancement. This helps to set expectations early and attract people who are more likely to stay and thrive long term.

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Explore our pick of the top hiring trends 2026, including AI recruitment, candidate engagement initiatives, and attracting Gen X and beyond.

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6/1/26 2026 labour market trends: hiring slowdown and AI disruption

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6/1/26 2026 labour market trends: hiring slowdown and AI disruption

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2026 labour market trends: hiring slowdown and AI disruption

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Employment experts anticipate another difficult 12 months for the talent market, as cost pressures, new laws and technology reshape the economy

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9/12/25 December 2025 BoE survey points to controlled cooling of job market

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9/12/25 December 2025 BoE survey points to controlled cooling of job market

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December 2025 BoE survey points to controlled cooling of job market - Recruitment Insight

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The Bank of England survey, is often seen as a health check on the jobs market from the perspective of employers themselves. The December report (reporting on the previous quarter) tells us that while the labour market isn’t running hot, it’s not in freefall either. Instead, it is cooling in a fairly controlled way. What …

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Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service

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The National Careers Service can help you with your career, learning and training choices. Find out more about us and the different ways we can support you. This service is available to people who live in England.

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CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update: August 2025

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CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update: August 2025

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In the three months to June 2025, unemployment and employment levels rose, the economic inactivity level and economic inactivity rate both fell, and strong wage growth continued to present signs of slowing. Moreover, the number of economically inactive who want a job hit 2 million, and vacancy levels fell for the 37th consecutive quarter. This means that as of last month, vacancy numbers have been falling continually for three years. Trends seen in recent months, therefore, have continued, with slowing wage growth and dampened hiring intentions continuing to be the key messages.

The UK employment rate (for people aged 16 to 64 years) was estimated at 75.3% in the period between April 2025 and June 2025, which is slightly up on the quarter and the year. The UK unemployment rate (for people aged 16 and over) was estimated at 4.7% in the three months to June 2025, also up on the year and quarter.

The UK economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 years old was 21.0% in the quarter to June 2025, marginally down on the year and the quarter. The provisional estimate for the number of vacancies in the UK economy in the three months to July 2025 is 718,000, representing a decrease on the quarter (-44,000) and the year (-145,000).

Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 149,000 (-0.5%) between June 2024 and June 2025, and by 26,000 (-0.1%) between May 2025 and June 2025. The early estimate of payrolled employees for July 2025 decreased by 164,000 (-0.5%) on the year, and by 8,000 (0.0%) on the month, to 30.3 million. The July 2025 estimate should be treated as a provisional estimate and is likely to be revised when more data is received next month.

Annual growth in employees' average regular earnings (excluding bonuses) in Great Britain was 5.0% in the three months to June 2025, and annual growth in total earnings (including bonuses) was 4.6%. Annual growth in real terms (adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH)), for regular pay and total pay stood at 0.9% and 0.5%, respectively, across the same period.

This month's data highlights a very similar labour market picture to the one told previously. Wages are continuing to rise in nominal and real terms, but rates of wage growth seen over the past few years are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Another drop in vacancy levels also suggests that the demand for labour is continuing to weaken, and the achievability of the 80% employment target remains in serious doubt.

The widespread impact of rising business costs across the labour market means it is imperative that the Government are mindful when introducing policies that could add to employers' cost base. Firms will be looking for the Chancellor to acknowledge the challenge and trade-offs associated with financial pressures in the fiscal event later this year, and to pull on policy levers that can help unlock business investment in their workforce. This includes making Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) fully tax-free benefits, as well as allocating the funding raised through the Immigration Skills Charge to skills and training initiatives.

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CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update: August 2025 | CBI

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The jobs market continues to present signs of weakening.

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21/7/25 ONS Labour Market: UK Unemployment Hits 4-Year High of 4.7%, But Economic Inactivity Falls

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21/7/25 ONS Labour Market: UK Unemployment Hits 4-Year High of 4.7%, But Economic Inactivity Falls

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The Latest Office for National Statistics data has been released today (17th July 2025). This is looking at the employment data from March to May 2025.

The Top level figures are that the Employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 for (Mar - May 2025) is 75.2%, an increase of 0.8% percentage points (pps) on the previous year, this is a quarterly change of 0.2pps, but since Since Dec-Feb 2020 it is down -1.2pps.

The Unemployment Rate Is Up On The Quarter And The Year, And Is Above Pre-pandemic Rates:

The Unemployment rate Aged 16+ for March - May 2025 is 4.7%, up slightly to 0.2 percentage points on the previous year. Quarterly change of an increase of 0.2pps, but since Dec-Feb 2020 this is an increase of 0.7pps.

ONS estimates the UK population is around 68,265,200 from a Mid-year estimate (2023).

The Economic Inactivity Rate Is Down On The Quarter and Down On The Year, But Is Still Above Pre-pandemic Rates:

The Economic inactivity rate (all aged 16 to 64) has fallen to 21% and has had a quarterly change of -0.4pps, but since Dec-Feb 2020 it is still 0.7pps above Pre-pandemic rates. In terms of people, this is a reduction of 375,000 people who are on not 'economically inactive' compared to last year. However, ONS has flagged, that due to increased volatility of LFS estimates, resulting from smaller achieved sample sizes, estimates of change should be treated with additional caution.

The Number Of Vacancies Are Down On The Quarter And Are Below Pre-pandemic Levels

Significant Drop in the Number of Job Vacancies. According to the Vacancy Survey from the Office for National Statistics, the number of vacancies are down on the quarter and are below pre-pandemic levels. The Quarterly change is -56,000 and Since Jan-Mar 2020 (during the Covid pandemic) -68,000 vacancies.

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University has calculated:

"Unemployment is now at its highest level for four years at 4.7%, while the number of vacancies has fallen by 56,000 on the quarter to 727,000 in April to June 2025. There are now 2.3 people seeking work per vacancy available in the most challenging labour market in recent year"

Latest ONS Labour Market Data

Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 135,000 (0.4%) between May 2024 and May 2025, and by 25,000 (0.1%) between April and May 2025.

When looking at March to May 2025, the period comparable with ONS' Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, payrolled employees fell by 81,000 (0.3%) over the year, and by 68,000 (0.2%) over the quarter.

The early estimate of payrolled employees for June 2025 decreased by 178,000 (0.6%) on the year, and by 41,000 (0.1%) on the month, to 30.3 million. The June 2025 estimate should be treated as a provisional estimate and is likely to be revised when more data are received next month.

LFS estimates from January to March 2025 include the full effect of recent improvements in LFS data collection and sampling methods introduced from January 2024 by ONS, and are therefore more likely to be representative of labour market conditions. An increased amount of volatility will remain in the LFS estimates from mid-2023 and throughout 2024, so ONS advise caution when interpreting change involving those periods. ONS are recommening using LFS estimates as part of their suite of labour market indicators, alongside workforce jobs, Claimant Count and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) estimates.

ONS Mar - May 25 Figures:

The UK employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 years was estimated at 75.2% in March to May 2025. This is above estimates of a year ago, and up in the latest quarter.

The UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over was estimated at 4.7% in March to May 2025. This is above estimates of a year ago, and up in the latest quarter.

The UK economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 years was estimated at 21.0% in March to May 2025. This is below estimates of a year ago, and down in the latest quarter.

The UK Claimant Count for June 2025 increased on the month and the year, to 1.743 million.

The estimated number of vacancies in the UK fell by 56,000 on the quarter, to 727,000, in April to June 2025. This is the 36th consecutive period where vacancy numbers have dropped compared with the previous three months, with vacancies decreasing in 14 of the 18 industry sectors. Feedback from our Vacancy Survey suggests some firms may not be recruiting new workers, or replacing workers who have left.

5% Wage Growth, Yet Real Pay Up Just £26 Per Week Since 2008

In March to May 2025, annual growth in employees' average earnings in Great Britain for both regular earnings (excluding bonuses) and total earnings (including bonuses) was 5.0%. Annual average regular earnings growth was 5.5% for the public sector and 4.9% for the private sector. Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation unpacks the data into real life on wage growthexplaining:"Data shows nominal wage growth slowing to 5%, and despite the longest period of sustained wage increases in over 20 years, workers continue to feel the impact of nearly two decades of stagnating pay packets. Wages are just £26 a week higher in real terms than they were at the start of the global financial crisis in August 2008".

There were an estimated 37,000 working days lost because of labour disputes across the UK in May 2025.

Sector Reaction

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, a leading think tank for improving working lives in the UK:

"Today's figures suggest the UK's labour market is in a challenging transition. Data shows more employers are holding back from hiring, the pace of pay growth is easing but the number of people beginning to look for work is on the rise.

"Unemployment is now at its highest level for four years at 4.7%, while the number of vacancies has fallen by 56,000 on the quarter to 727,000 in April to June 2025. There are now 2.3 people seeking work per vacancy available in the most challenging labour market in recent years.

"Although these figures may reflect a reduction in business confidence to recruit as employment costs rise, it also appears more people are moving out of economic inactivity to begin looking for work. Economic inactivity has fallen to 21%, the lowest percentage since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, and down 375,000 people on the year.

"As more people are now looking for a job, there is a significant risk they will struggle to access secure and well-paid work. Data shows nominal wage growth slowing to 5%, and despite the longest period of sustained wage increases in over 20 years, workers continue to feel the impact of nearly two decades of stagnating pay packets. Wages are just £26 a week higher in real terms than they were at the start of the global financial crisis in August 2008. Years of stagnating wages and the cost of living crisis mean that six in ten workers (60%) say they have very little or nothing left over from their pay at the end of the month.

"Today's data underscores the importance of Government committing the investment and funding required to support more people into secure and well paid work. It's vital that alongside an extra £1 billion for additional employment support programmes, the Government sticks to its guns on the Employment Rights Bill and puts the creation of high quality jobs at the heart of its Industrial Strategy."
Responding to the latest ONS figures, Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
"The labour market looks to be continuing to ease with vacancies falling again and below pre-pandemic levels and payroll employment down too. Sectors like retail and hospitality seem harder hit than others, seeing the largest falls in employment of 174,000 combined, but also the highest pay growth as minimum wage rises kick in. But the data remain uncertain: for example, last month's 109,000 fall in payroll employment has been revised to a 25,000 fall. Achieving the Government's 80% employment rate target will require a growing economy and a plan to help two million more people in work."
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Chief Executive Neil Carberry said:
"While the overall levels of employment and unemployment remain reasonably steady, the trend is one of clear weakening across most measures. This reflects businesses' reactions to rising costs and an uncertain external environment. Many firms are choosing to operate leaner in response to the current situation - we can see that in private sector temporary work outperforming other forms of hiring right now as firms seek flexibility.

"We should not let pessimism take hold, our data shows businesses are confident in their own plans, while households have rebuilt their cash position after the past few years. If Government can increase businesses' and families' willingness to spend for the future, we would likely see a positive trend in both the labour market and the wider economy. A reduction in the interest rate next month will help with that but so will reassuring firms that they don't face another swingeing tax raid in the Budget, and fixing the impracticalities in the Employment Rights Bill, a piece of legislation that is not yet suited to the modern workplace.

"More people rejoining the workforce will help address labour and skills shortages. The focus should move to ensure businesses have the flexibility and support to tap into a growing talent pool and keep it sustainable."
Jack Kennedy, Senior Economist from Indeed:
"The latest figures ease immediate pressure on the Bank of England to accelerate interest rate cuts. Though the labour market continues to soften, the hefty revision to May's payrolled employees figure paints a less alarming picture than previously.

"With wage growth also coming in slightly stronger than expected, the labour market data is likely to be interpreted by the Monetary Policy Committee as supportive of maintaining a gradual pace of rate cuts amid inflation persistence.

"While an August rate reduction remains widely anticipated, questions remain on what happens thereafter. Though the prospect of stagflation is making life uncomfortable for the Bank, the labour market appears to be gradually cooling rather than tanking"
Abigail Coxon, Senior Economist at Youth Futures Foundation, comments:
"Today's labour market data from the ONS reveals that around 1 in 5 young people not in full-time education are economically inactive. An estimated 820,000 16-24-year-olds not in full-time education are neither in work nor actively seeking it; equivalent to an alarmingly high rate of 20.1%. This marks a sharp rise since 2021 as the UK emerged from the pandemic, when the rate stood at 15.7%, meaning around 250,000 more young people are now inactive.

"Unlike after the 2008 financial crisis - when the majority of young people not in education or work were actively looking for jobs - the recent rise in NEET levels since 2021 is driven in part by growing rates of economic inactivity. Over the past three years, long-term sickness has been the primary driver of the increase in youth economic inactivity, with mental health conditions the most common cause related to ill health.

"This week we launched our latest research report to understand the root causes of young people's worsening mental health in England. This first-of-its-kind research, carried out by the University of Manchester and University College London, evaluates multiple potential drivers of worsening youth mental health, assessing the strength of evidence supporting each one and highlighting where important gaps remain.

"We know that being out of work and education can have a scarring effect on young people even decades later, impacting their future prospects and wellbeing. The research further reinforces the need for mental health to be prioritised and for preventative solutions that bring together health services, education, employers, civil society and other stakeholders."

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ONS Labour Market: UK Unemployment Hits 4-Year High of 4.7%, But Economic Inactivity Falls | FE News

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ONS Labour Market: UK Unemployment Hits 4-Year High of 4.7%, But Economic Inactivity Falls | Read more on FE News!

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What is labour market information and why is it useful

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What is labour market information and why is it useful

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Labour Market Information (LMI) is facts and figures about jobs and employment. It can include data on employment trends, job availability, skills demand, salary ranges, educational requirements, and more.

LMI gives you a picture of what is happening in the job market, in the economy, in different sectors, and what is impacting them. It can help you plan your goals and start taking control of your career.

Use LMI to help:

make informed decisions about career choice

find jobs that are suited to you

explore career paths and sectors

strengthen job applications

plan for the future.

Where to find Labour Market Information

LMI can be found in many places. There are official sources like government surveys and research. You can also get LMI from informal sources like conversations with employers.

Labour Market Information tool and Industry Reports

The Labour Market Information tool allows you to match your study subject, skills, and postcode to job roles across 90 occupations. It offers data such as:

average regional salaries

employment growth and unemployment rates

common tasks

average weekly working hours

qualification requirements

video testimonies from real people performing each role.

Find out more about popular job sectors using sectors guides, Study Home sites and the psychology and counselling career guide.

You have access to the above tools if you're a current OU student or completed your study within the last three years. If you're not sure how to sign-in, see Help with signing into the OU systems.

Learn more about our careers tools and services, and how to manage your data, in About Careers and Employability Services.

Active vacancy browsing

Browse jobs using a range of vacancy sources to identify patterns in the skills and experience that employers are looking for.

OU students can search our curated vacancies in OpportunityHub by keyword, location, industry, type or role and more.

Attend employer events and make professional connections

Learn more about employers and industries by attending events and networking. If you're unsure how, there's advice for starting out on Networking for your career. It also covers locations to start, such as LinkedIn, careers fairs, and employer events.

Using GenAI tools

Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) models such as ChatGPT and Co-Pilot, can be powerful tools for researching labour market information. Used well, they can be helpful for:

summarising current job trends in your chosen industry or region

highlighting the most in-demand skills and qualifications from real-time job postings

suggesting potential career paths based on your background, interests, or study area

translating complex labour market data into clear, practical insights

helping you explore new and emerging roles, especially in fast-moving sectors.

When using AI, beware that their accuracy depends on the data and sources they are trained on. For up-to-date LMI with cited sources you could try Perplexity AI. You'll then need to use your critical reading techniques to evaluate the information.

Other sources of Labour Market Information

In the UK:

In Scotland:

In Wales:

Future Jobs Wales
Explore Wales' regions and industries and learn what jobs you could do, now and in the future.

Navigating careers in rural Wales
Sign in to OpportunityHub to find out about job and career progression opportunities for OU students in rural Wales.

Careers Wales
Job profiles with specific information for Wales.

In Northern Ireland:

In the Republic of Ireland:

For international students:

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How to research careers and sectors, labour market trends, and preparing your career for the future.

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Real-life career videos, advice and information to inspire your career

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15/7/25 Business labour market information

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15/7/25 Business labour market information

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Business labour market information - South Midlands Growth Hub

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Business labour market information The South East Midlands is a rapidly growing and innovative economy. The area offers a unique labour market with the diversity […]

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Derbyshire has high levels of labour market participation and continues to have an employment rate well above the national average. Unemployment rates in the county remain lower than across England, however, there are areas where the unemployment rate is more than the national average. Derbyshire is home to over 29,700 businesses that employ around 293,000

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15/7/25 Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity in Nottingham

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15/7/25 Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity in Nottingham

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Nottingham’s employment, unemployment and economic inactivity - ONS

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How Nottingham (E06000018) compares with the East Midlands and Great Britain across employment-related statistics

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Labour Market Information | Nottingham Free School

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15/7/25 Labour market overview, UK: June 2025

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15/7/25 Labour market overview, UK: June 2025

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Labour market overview, UK - Office for National Statistics

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Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK.

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Overview of UCAS Tariff Points for Apprenticeships | UCAS

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For the 2026 cycle, we are introducing a new Tariff points structure that now includes Level 3 apprenticeships alongside A-levels, T Levels, and other post-16 qualifications. These changes aim to support apprentices’ progression to higher education by creating a unified system that helps universities and colleges evaluate apprenticeship qualifications against traditional academic routes. This guide provides an overview of the recent changes, including the new calculation method, key points for providers, and the impact on apprenticeship pathways into higher education.

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1/6/25 One day I overheard my boss saying: just put it in ChatGPT’: the workers who lost their jobs to AI

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1/6/25 One day I overheard my boss saying: just put it in ChatGPT’: the workers who lost their jobs to AI

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Mateusz Demski, 31, journalist, Kraków, Poland
I've been a freelance journalist for 10 years, usually writing for magazines and websites about cinema. I presented a morning show on Radio Kraków twice a week for about two years. It was only one part of my work, but I really enjoyed it. It was about culture and cinema, and featured a range of people, from artists to activists. I remember interviewing Ukrainians about the Russian invasion for the first programme I presented, back in 2022.

I was let go in August 2024, alongside a dozen co-workers who were also part-time. We were told the radio station was having financial problems. I was relatively OK with it, as I had other income streams. But a few months later I heard that Radio Kraków was launching programmes hosted by three AI characters.Each had AI-generated photographs, a biography and a specific personality. They called it an "experiment" aimed at younger audiences.

One of the first shows they did was a live "interview" with Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, winner of the 1996 Nobel prize for literature, who had died 12 years earlier. What are the ethics of using the likeness of a dead person? Szymborska is a symbol of Polish intellectual culture, so it caused outrage. I couldn't understand it: radio is created by people for other people. We cannot replace our experiences, emotions or voices with avatars.

One of my colleagues who was laid off is queer. One of the new AI avatars was called Alex, a non-binary student and a "specialist" in queer subjects. In Poland, we are still fighting for queer rights, and as journalists it's incumbent on us to have real representation when reporting on this. For my colleague and the LGBTQ+ community, it was shocking and damaging to hear their lived experience and knowledge being imitated by AI.

Some of us who had been laid off started a petition against the station, calling for regulation and to get the AI shows taken off air. We got tens of thousands of people to sign - actors, journalists, artists, but also listeners. Hundreds of young people didn't want to listen to an AI show.

The station has since scrapped the avatars, largely because of the success of our campaign. It's now student-run. The station claim this is about offering mentorship, but it's also a cheaper alternative to hiring qualified journalists. I guess it's better than AI, though.

There are still no clear regulations covering its use in Poland. I'm not campaigning for regulation because I lost my job to AI: I'm campaigning because I'm worried about the ethics of all of this; about misinformation and deceiving listeners.I'm a realist - I'm not completely against AI. I think it can be used responsibly to do the boring bits of our job. But we can't substitute complex thinking with machines. AI can't replace our curiosity, creativity or emotional intelligence.
Lina Meilina, 30, illustrator, Bandung, Indonesia
Lina Meilina: 'Since AI took off, my workload has plummeted.' Photograph: Muhammad Fadli/The Guardian

'Even those who've kept their jobs have had their wages reduced'

I've been drawing and painting since I was a kid. Even in kindergarten, I was doodling. By elementary school I was drawing comics and my teachers knew I had potential. I have strict, traditional parents who told me art wouldn't make me any money, but I wanted to follow my dreams. Now I make anime-style illustrations, and most of my income comes fromcommissions: I draw bespoke characters for clients, and also create my own.

Even before AI tools arrived, it wasn't easy. Indonesia doesn't take artists seriously and copyright laws are weak. I've seen people steal my work and put it on merch to sell on retail websites such as AliExpress. I have to get them taken down myself, screenshotting pages one by one to report them to the site's admin. Now, AI makes it harder to prove ownership, because it can take your art and make slight changes, so it's not a direct copy.

I first learned about generative AI a few years ago, watching a YouTuber introduce viewers to the software Midjourney, which generates images based on prompts. He asked the program to produce an image in the style of comic book artist Alex Ross. The finished work was good, with Ross's distinctive hyper-realistic style and colour palette. I remember thinking, "Oh shit, this is going to be a disaster."

Since last year, when AI really took off, my workload has plummeted. I used to get up to 15 commissions a month; now I get around five. People can take your art and feed it into an AI program to create work. A follower of mine recently used AI to portray my characters doing something inappropriate. I tried to report it, but the platform said it didn't violate its copyright policy.

One of the main platforms freelance artists use to get work recently launched a campaign called "Nobody cares if you use AI", encouraging clients and artists to embrace AI tools. Well, I care, as do a lot of my colleagues.

Even the Indonesian government is using AI art: they recently released a video promoting a scheme that provides free lunches for students. It's a great initiative, but it breaks my heart that they used AI instead of commissioning a talented Indonesian artist.

I used to work in a small studio as a storyboard artist for TV commercials. Since AI appeared, I've seen colleagues lose jobs because companies are using Midjourney. Even those who've kept their jobs have had their wages reduced - and pay in south-east Asia is already low.

Maybe my mum was right that I shouldn't be an artist. I've had to look for other sources of income - at the moment, I make cosplay props on commission. I love illustrating, but if I keep losing clients because of AI, I'll probably go into prop-making full-time.
Annabel Beales, 49, copywriter, Southampton
Annabel Beales: 'Losing my dream job was devastating.' Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian
, UK
'I feel devastated for the younger generation - it's taking all the creative jobs'

I landed my dream job in 2023, writing content for a garden centre. I mostly did search engine optimisation, and wrote gardening tips for their magazine and blog. My colleagues were friendly and the hours were flexible.

I've always loved reading and writing. I was brought up on a farm with no television, so I was always at the library, reading Judy Blume books. If I didn't like the ending, I would rewrite it. But I never thought then that I could pursue writing as a career: where I'm from, it was hard to break into anything creative - people either worked as nurses or at the local car manufacturer. Even though I wanted to be a writer, my mum had always told me to have a back-up plan.

Copywriting didn't come to me straight away, so I did secretarial work for years, and admin roles in the public sector. I'd heard of some friends who needed a copywriter for their businesses, and I was interested in writing professionally, so I enrolled on an online course. It cost a month's wages and took eight months to complete, but I enjoyed the creativity.

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I got the gardening centre job a few months later. I'd interview different experts to write blogs on topics such as growing potatoes or planting trees. I threw myself into it and passed my probation.

Around eight months in, I noticed I was getting less work. One day, I overheard my boss saying to a colleague, "Just put it in ChatGPT." The marketing department started to use it more often to write their blogs, and they were just asking me to proofread. I remember walking around the company's beautiful gardens with my manager and asking him if AI would replace me, and he stressed that my job was safe.

Six weeks later, I was called to a meeting with HR. They told me they were letting me go immediately. It was just before Christmas. Thankfully, I got a temp role doing admin work in January, but going back to that after having my dream writing job was devastating.

The company's website is sad to see now. It's all AI-generated and factual - there's no substance, or sense of actually enjoying gardening. AI scares the hell out of me. I feel devastated for the younger generation - it's taking all the creative jobs.
Richie Tavake, 31, voice actor, San Francisco, US
Richie Tavake: 'When characters are voiced well, people relate to them.' Photograph: Cayce Clifford/The Guardian

I'm now a PA in cancer research in the university sector. I feel more settled, but I regret going into copywriting. I got the job at the gardening centre at a time when my mum was terminally ill. I remember asking her whether I should take it, as it would mean I wouldn't be able to spend as much time with her. She told me to follow my dreams and go for it. I thought I'd be there for years, working as a copywriter until I retired. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time with my mum instead.

'Listening to a series I'd recorded, I heard my character say a line - but it wasn't my voice'

I've spent 10 years training to be a voice actor. It takes skill - it's my job to bring honesty to the story I tell. I recently played the main character, Jessie, in a survival video game. Jessie crash-lands on a snowy mountain - as his voice, I have to consider whether he's injured, how he feels and the shock he's in.

My mum encouraged me to try acting classes while I was at university, as it was something I had always talked about doing. Immediately, I was hooked, and after a few semesters I decided to pursue it professionally. I started training seriously while taking customer service jobs to support myself. My first gig in a professional studio was an Animal Farm audio drama in 2023, in which I played Napoleon. It was a great experience to get mic'd up and perform with a whole cast.

The effect of generative AI in my industry is something I've felt personally. Recently, I was listening to an audio drama series I'd recorded and heard my character say a line, but it wasn't my voice. I hadn't recorded that section. I contacted the producer, who told me he had input my voice into AI software to say the extra line. But he hadn't asked my permission. I later found out he had uploaded my voice to a platform, allowing other producers to access it. I requested its removal, but it took me a week, and I had to speak to five people to get it done.

The Screen Actors Guild, SAG-AFTRA, began a strike last year against certain major video games studios because voice actors were unhappy with the lack of protections against AI. Developers can record actors, then AI can use those initial chunks of audio to generate further recordings. Actors don't get paid for any of the extra AI-generated stuff, and they lose their jobs. I've seen it happen.

One client told me straight out that they have started using generative AI for their voices because it's faster. But when characters are written and voiced well, people relate to them. Take Batman, who was voiced by the late Kevin Conroy in the animated series. People appreciated his work because he brought the character to life. When done right, people will value it and pay money for it.
Jadun Sykes, 28, graphic designer, Wakefield
Jadun Sykes: 'My advice? Learn as many skills as possible.' Photograph: courtesy of Jadun Sykes
, UK
There is also the issue of diversity. I'm American-Samoan and I wouldn't be happy to hear a Samoan voice generated by AI - it could be inaccurate and even offensive. It's just a bunch of numbers and words imitating a culture I was brought up in. A great example of this is Ghost of Tsushima, a video game that's based in Japan. All the cast were of Japanese heritage: they were in tune with the culture and they brought so much honesty to the story. AI can't replicate that. It's a machine; it doesn't have that background and it never will.

'I never anticipated they'd get rid of me'

As a kid I was always arty - sketching, making Play-Doh sculptures. I studied game design and art at college, and went down an Adobe Photoshop rabbit hole. It was fun and I was good at it, so I decided to turn it into a career, starting at the company when I was 21. They sell a platform that creates landing pages and email layouts. I'd design the templates and do bespoke work for clients.

When generative AI came along, the company was very vocal about using it as a tool to help clients get creative. As a company that sells digital automation, developments in AI fit them well. I knew they were introducing it to do things like writing emails and generating images, but I never anticipated they'd get rid of me: I'd been there six years and was their only graphic designer. My redundancy came totally out of the blue. One day, HR told me my role was no longer required as much of my work was being replaced by AI.

I made a YouTube video about my experience. It went viral and I received hundreds of responses from graphic designers in the same boat, which made me realise I'm not the only victim - it's happening globally, and it takes a huge mental toll. I went to college, I studied, I did six years of work. Was it all for nothing?

After I was let go, I spent months looking for a job. I didn't find work in graphic design, but did get a job as a content creator at a PC manufacturer. I make videos of the production line, interview staff members and do some social media. I'm not worried here: my employers don't agree with replacing human roles with AI. I may use it to edit pictures but only to enhance something a human created - say, to remove cables in the back of a product image. We would never post an image entirely generated by AI, which is what my old company is doing. My advice to every graphic designer is to learn as many skills as possible. You have to be prepared.

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'One day I overheard my boss saying: just put it in ChatGPT': the workers who lost their jobs to AI

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From a radio host replaced by avatars to a comic artist whose drawings have been copied by Midjourney, how does it feel to be replaced by a bot?

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1/6/25 1 in 10 Graduates Changing Careers due to the Threat of AI

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1/6/25 1 in 10 Graduates Changing Careers due to the Threat of AI

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1 in 10 Graduates Changing Careers due to the Threat of AI | FE News

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| 1 in 10 Graduates Changing Careers due to the Threat of AI

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13/5/25 The best career path isn't always a straight line

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13/5/25 The best career path isn't always a straight line

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The best career path isn’t always a straight line

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Conventional wisdom frames the ideal career path as a linear one -- a ladder to be climbed with a single-minded focus to get to the top. Career development consultants Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper invite you to replace this outdated and limiting model with “squiggly” careers: dynamic, open-ended growth paths tailor-made for your individual needs, talents and ambitions. A radical rethink for anyone who feels restricted and defined by the limits of the corporate ladder.

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13/5/25 How to know if its time to change careers

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13/5/25 How to know if its time to change careers

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How to know if it’s time to change careers | The Way We Work, a TED series

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The Secrets of People Who Love Their Jobs

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The Secrets of People Who Love Their Jobs

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The secrets of people who love their jobs | Shane Lopez | TEDxLawrence

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13/5/25 The AI-powered career planning platform

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13/5/25 The AI-powered career planning platform

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CareersPro - The AI-powered career planning platform

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The AI-powered career planning platform. For career changes big and small, get the insights and facts you need to find a way forward.

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13/5/25 Labour market update: The UK government has proposed a significant update to the Employment Rights Bill

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13/5/25 Labour market update: The UK government has proposed a significant update to the Employment Rights Bill

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The government is also discussing the introduction of a statutory probation period of nine months. This aims to help employers properly assess an employee's suitability for a role while providing workers with strengthened rights from their first day of employment.

The Bill includes proposals to ban the use of exploitative zero-hours contracts. Instead, employees who work regular hours over a defined period will have the right to guaranteed hours.

To combat this, recruitment and hiring processes will need to be tightened. Since it will be much harder to dismiss employees within their first 12 months of employment, small businesses must invest in effective candidate management tools to ensure that new hires possess the skills needed for long-term success in their roles.

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Labour market update: The UK government has proposed a significant update to the Employment Rights Bill

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The Labour Government has proposed a new right for employees to claim unfair dismissal from their first day of employment, eliminating the current

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13/5/25 Labour market overview, UK: May 2025

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13/5/25 Labour market overview, UK: May 2025

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3/5/25 Labour market overview, UK - Office for National Statistics

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Labour market overview, UK - Office for National Statistics

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Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK.

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14/4/25 Career Development Institute Launches Technical Education Resource Hub 

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14/4/25 Career Development Institute Launches Technical Education Resource Hub 

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The Career Development Institute (CDI) today announced the launch of its Technical Education Resource Hub, an online platform designed to transform how career development professionals access news, information and resources about technical education pathways.

In an era where technical skills are increasingly vital to the UK's economic growth, resilience and global competitiveness, this centralised hub addresses a critical need - it brings together comprehensive, up-to-date information on T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), apprenticeships, and ongoing qualifications reform - creating a one-stop resource for careers professionals who are shaping the future workforce.
Kim Newman, Technical Education Programme Manager at CDI, emphasised the hub's significance and potential:
"This Resource Hub is more than just a tool; it's a lifeline for career development professionals who are working tirelessly to help young people navigate their options. By bringing all the relevant information into one platform, we're empowering careers professional with easy access to all the information they need - and making sure that no young person misses out on opportunities that could shape their future for the better."

The launch of the Technical Education Resource Hub aligns closely with the UK Government's Skills and Post-16 Education Act, reinforcing the national skills agenda to elevate technical education as a cornerstone of economic growth and social mobility.
David Morgan, Chief Executive of the Career Development Institute, highlighted the leadership role of careers advisers:
"For too long, technical education pathways have been overshadowed by academic routes. Careers advisers are often the first-and sometimes only-champions for young people exploring technical options. This hub equips them with the tools to provide impartial guidance that is both current and comprehensive. It represents a significant step forward in achieving parity of esteem between academic and technical education, ensuring every young person has information about pathways that match their aspirations and potential."

Key features of the Technical Education Resource Hub include:

Comprehensive signposting to trusted external resources

Regular updates reflecting the evolving technical education landscape

User-friendly interface suitable for both new and experienced careers professionals

Supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the hub is part of CDI's broader Technical Education Programme and is intended to be an ongoing, sustainable support for the careers industry.

As the UK accelerates its focus on technical skills as a driver of economic prosperity, initiatives like the Technical Education Resource Hub play a crucial role in ensuring that young people have access to informed guidance about all available pathways.

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Career Development Institute Launches Technical Education Resource Hub | FE News

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Career Development Institute Launches Technical Education Resource Hub | Read more on FE News!

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14/4/25 UK Labour Market Update – April 2025

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14/4/25 UK Labour Market Update – April 2025

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The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a mixed picture of the UK labour market as we head further into 2025. Here's what you need to know:

Employment holding steady:
The UK employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 now stands at 75.0%, slightly higher than last year and up on the previous quarter. Despite market uncertainty, more people are in work.

Unemployment ticks up:
The unemployment rate has risen to 4.4%, higher than both the previous quarter and this time last year. While this signals some cooling in the market, it remains below pandemic highs.

Economic inactivity falling:
There's a positive note here. The rate of economic inactivity (people not working and not looking for work) has dropped to 21.5%, indicating that more people are returning to the workforce.

Vacancies remain high:
There were 816,000 job vacancies in the three months to February 2025 - holding steady and still well above pre-pandemic levels. Employers are still actively hiring.

Earnings growth outpaces inflation:
Average regular earnings (excluding bonuses) grew by 5.9% year-on-year, with total earnings including bonuses up by 5.8%. Crucially, with inflation taken into account, real pay rose by 2.2%.

Public sector jobs up:
Public sector employment increased to 6.14 million, rising by 53,000 from last year. This suggests ongoing investment in public services.

Workforce jobs rise:
Total workforce jobs reached 36.9 million at the end of 2024, up by 403,000 over the year, with the biggest boost in employee roles.

Claimant count increases:
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits rose to 1.775 million in February 2025, up on the month and year.

Caution around data volatility:
The ONS warns that sample size changes in the Labour Force Survey have caused some volatility in the numbers, and recommends using a combination of data sources for the clearest picture.

In Summary:
‍
The UK job market is showing resilience in 2025, with rising pay, a healthy number of vacancies, and growing workforce participation. However, rising unemployment and continued economic pressures mean there's still a balancing act ahead.

At The UK Careers Fair, we continue to see strong demand from employers across multiple sectors, and our events are connecting jobseekers with real opportunities nationwide.

Stay tuned for more updates as we track how the market evolves - and make sure to check out our upcoming events for April and beyond!

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UK Labour Market Update – April 2025 | UKCF

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The UK job market is showing resilience in 2025, with rising pay, a healthy number of vacancies, and growing workforce participation. However, rising unemployment and continued economic pressures mean there’s still a balancing act ahead.

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3/3/25 Top Job Search Tips for 2025: Maximize Your Career Opportunities in 2025

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3/3/25 Top Job Search Tips for 2025: Maximize Your Career Opportunities in 2025

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Top Job Search Tips for 2025: Maximize Your Career Opportunities in 2025 | theHRD

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6/1/24 UCAS Training guides and resources

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6/1/24 UCAS Training guides and resources

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All the information you need to guide your students through the application process.

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6/1/25 Start date for apprenticeship UCAS points revealed

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6/1/25 Start date for apprenticeship UCAS points revealed

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Start date for apprenticeship UCAS points revealed

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Apprenticeships will be allocated UCAS tariff points from next year, the university admissions body has confirmed. Level 3 apprentices who want to apply for higher education courses will be awarded up to 112 points on the University and College Admissions Service applications system from May. UCAS initially scheduled the rollout for September this year, but

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Scott Dinsmore: How to find work you love | TED Talk

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Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.

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We use cookies to collect information about how you use this website. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve this website. We also share some of this information with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

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Leadership Skills | Career Progression | Job Recognition

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Boost your career and leadership potential with us. Access a whole host of leadership resources and get professionally recognised in your industry.

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Prospects Job Match quiz | Find the best career for you | 2024

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Take our online quiz to discover the right career for you in less than ten minutes. Find jobs that match your skills and interests, then apply with Prospects.

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9/10/24 What do Universities look for in a personal statement

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9/10/24 What do Universities look for in a personal statement

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What do universities look for in a personal statement? - Edge Hill University

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A personal statement is your chance to show the universities you’re applying to why you should gain a place on your chosen course. This is a great opportunity to showcase your personality and motivations, but we know this can be a daunting task. Your personal statement can only be 4,000 characters – which is about […]

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9/9/24 Future Learn Career Development Courses

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9/9/24 Future Learn Career Development Courses

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Boost Your Career - Career Development Courses - FutureLearn

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Get the technical and soft skills you need to take your career to the next level with FutureLearn’s free online career development courses for all career stages.

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18/6/24 Career Development Blog resources

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18/6/24 Career Development Blog resources

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Career Development Resources | ICS Learn Blog | Category news-announcements

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Get all the latest career development guides, news and resources from ICS Learn. | Category news-announcements

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Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service

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The National Careers Service can help you with your career, learning and training choices. Find out more about us and the different ways we can support you. This service is available to people who live in England.

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Unlock your free membership of the Association of Apprentices - Association of Apprentices

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Jan joined OAL in 2019, a leading non-profit industry-focused Awarding and End-Point Assessment Organisation, supporting a wide range of employers and of key stakeholders to succeed and surpass expectations. Jan is committed to continuous improvement and enthusiastic about improving the effectiveness, impact and quality of apprenticeships, education, and training in the UK and internationally.

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13/5/24 UK businesses face talent crunch as skills gap widens

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13/5/24 UK businesses face talent crunch as skills gap widens

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Additional courses 10% discount through Prostart

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Additional courses 10% discount through Prostart

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Prostart - Training You Today For Tomorrow

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iHasco is a market-leading provider of online workplace training.

With over 150 approved e-learning courses and an intuitive Learning Management System, iHasco is the obvious choice for workplace training.

Courses take an average of 30 minutes to complete and help you work effortlessly towards compliance with current legislation.

Once on board with iHasco, you'll have your very own Account Manager who can guide you through their training and system.

Choose iHasco for easy-to-use, engaging, video-based training that your staff will love.

We are happy to announce our partnership with iHasco to bring their online e-learning courses to our customers and offer a simple, easy platform to complete targeted courses based on a variety of subjects and courses.

The course categories allow you to choose a pathway into finding the right subjects and each course has a summary providing an explanation, time to complete and sections included in that course. Find the courses below and get in touch today.

As part of our partnership, anyone who signs up through Prostart, receive 10% off the cost of each course and with our unique trial link, there is nothing to lose. Test out the platform and choose your training by clicking the link or filling out the booking form below. Free Trail Link

Health & Safety

HR

Business Compliance

Management

Soft Skills

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iHasco is a market-leading provider of online workplace training. With over 150 approved e-learning courses and an intuitive Learning Management System, iHasco is the obvious choice for workplace training. Courses take an average of 30 minutes to complete and help you work effortlessly towards compliance with current legislation.

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18/3/24 Dispelling common Apprenticeship myths

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18/3/24 Dispelling common Apprenticeship myths

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Prostart - Training You Today For Tomorrow

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Don’t Get Lost in the Fog: Dispelling Common Apprenticeship Myths - Prostart

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Don’t Get Lost in the Fog: Dispelling Common Apprenticeship Myths Thinking about an apprenticeship but worried about outdated stereotypes? Fear not! While whispers of low pay and limited opportunities might linger, the modern reality of UK apprenticeships paints a vastly different picture. Let’s dispel these myths and shed light on the exciting possibilities apprenticeships offer

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9.3.24 5 Top Tips to Access the career you want

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9.3.24 5 Top Tips to Access the career you want

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Top 5 Tips To Access The Career You Want | FE News

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| Top 5 Tips To Access The Career You Want

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Most people enter the workforce hoping to achieve great things, whether it's a large salary, an important role in their industry or just personal happiness.

As the years go by, you hope to continue making forward strides in your career development, but it doesn't always happen. You may get stuck in a dead-end job or change your mind about your ultimate goals, or even discover your skills lie in a completely different field.

It can be difficult to decide what to do next but turning to an expert can be immensely helpful.

To get you started, we've compiled a list of 10 popular TED Talks on a range of issues including career changes, dealing with stress, moving up the corporate ladder and finding that elusive work-life balance. Each video offers a unique perspective that could inspire your next successful career move, so scroll down and check it out!

1. Carla Harris: How to Find the Person Who Can Help You Get Ahead at Work

'All the important decisions about your career will be made when you are not in the room.' So said Morgan Stanley exec Carla Harris at the 2016 MAKERS Conference, and she follows that theme here in one of the best TED Talks for upwardly mobile workers in a corporate environment. In just a little over 13 minutes, Harris dispels the myth of the oft-touted 'workplace meritocracy' and gives clear steps for the true path to promotion and success.

2. Shane Lopez: The Secrets of People Who Love Their Jobs

Those workers just starting out or looking for inspiration for a new career are often told to find their passion. But what does that mean, exactly? Shane Lopez blends family stories and his own psychology research into an engaging discussion on what makes people happy at work and how to find your career bliss in a practical way. This is one of the best TED talks for those who hate their jobs and wonder if a job they're 'passionate' about even exists.

3. Ruth Chang: How to Make Hard Choices

Should you relocate for a promotion or find a way to advance in your current city? Is it time to quit a job where you feel held back or wait until the job market improves? These decisions can often feel insurmountable, as pivotal moments that could either wreck your career or send you skyrocketing to success.

As a lawyer-turned-philosopher, Ruth Chang certainly has experience with making big decisions to change your career. Throw away that 'pros and cons' list and let Chang take you on a very specific journey that will completely alter your way of evaluating your alternatives and take personal branding to a deeper level.

4. Nigel Marsh: How to Make Work-Life Balance Work

A Gallup poll conducted during the coronavirus epidemic revealed that 59% of Americans would like to continue working remotely even after their workplaces reopened. Many workers who have had a chance to take a break from long hours away from home and family have realised they could do with more of a healthy work-life balance.

Using examples from his own life and some pointed humour, Nigel Marsh offers his perspective on finding that perfect balance. You'll learn how to reconsider your idea of success in your career and the necessary steps to get more out life than a paycheque.

5. Leila Hoteit: 3 Lessons on Success from an Arab Businesswoman

Women on an ambitious career track still face many discriminatory issues in the workplace. Whether it's the gender pay gap, extra pressure from trying to juggle motherhood and career or sexual harassment, it can feel like a continual upward climb.

Leila Hoteit is here to tell Western career women that they have no idea how tough things really can be. With a direct style and a bit of wry humour, she shares valuable and easily adaptable lessons she's learned as a wife, mother and businesswoman living and working in the more culturally rigid UAE. 'Arab women of my generation,' says Hoteit, 'have had to become our own role models.'

6. Jason Shen: When Looking for a Job? Highlight Your Ability, Not Your Experience

This is one of the best TED talks for employers to listen to as well as jobseekers. Jason Shen, a science major who went into tech instead, explains that many businesses who overvalue experience are missing out on quality applicants. He shares his own story and advice for convincing the hiring committee of your ability to do the job well and implores all employers to follow industry leaders in thinking outside the box on recruiting new personnel.

7. Carol Fishman Cohen: How to Get Back to Work After a Career Break

Popular TV Land comedy Younger began with the premise of a 40-year-old divorced mother pretending to be 26 so she could re-enter the workforce as an intern. While age discrimination continues to be an issue for those who have taken substantial time off work to raise children, deal with health issues or care for a sick relative, Carol Fishman Cohen assures her audience that new career opportunities are still out there.

Her TED Talk offers motivational success stories, advice on being a better job candidate and some good news about internships for career 'relaunchers'.

8. Dr Alan Watkins: Being Brilliant Every Single Day

You've probably had moments at work, like during an important speech or a meeting with your boss, when all your knowledge and training suddenly flew out the window and left you scrambling for your words. Why do stressful situations render us incapable of even the simplest of tasks? Dr Alan Watkins has the answer, as well as an incredibly simple solution to regain control.

Part of the reason that TED Talks are so bingeable is the 20-minute limit, but neuroscience is a bit too complex to be so constrained. Thus, Watkins has been granted the exception of a two-parter video and, rest assured, the extra time is worth it.

9. Susan Colantuono: The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get

The best TED Talks are the ones that reveal unexpectedly powerful truths, and this is one of those videos. Susan Colantuono wants us to know that there isn't a lack of women leaders in business; it's just that most women can't move past middle management. So, why can't women who do excellent career planning and follow all the conventional career development advice make it to the top tier? The answer may surprise you.

10. Paul Tasner: How I Became an Entrepreneur at 66

When talking about professional development, motivational speakers continually return to the idea of finding something to be passionate about. Paul Tasner has taken that to heart, taking on two projects that are personally important to him: shunning retirement to become an entrepreneur in the field of eco-friendly products and serving as inspiration to others looking to start a business later in life.

We hope you have also been inspired and have gained some new ideas to approach your professional life. Which do you think are the best TED Talks for career development? Join the discussion below and share your favourites!

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The 10 Best TED Talks to Inspire Your Career Development

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Most people enter the workforce hoping to achieve great things, whether it's a large salary, an important role in their industry or just personal happiness. As the years go by, you hope to continue making forward strides in your career development, but it doesn't always happen.

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Emma Rosen: How to Find Your Passion and Make it Your Job | TED Talk

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Emma Rosen made the bold decision to give up her job and take a radical sabbatical in pursuit of her perfect career. She spent a year trying 25 careers before turning 25 through short term work experience, shadowing and just giving things a go. She completed the challenge, and finished all 25 placem…

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Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper: The best career path isn't always a straight line

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Conventional wisdom frames the ideal career path as a linear one -- a ladder to be climbed with a single-minded focus to get to the top. Career development consultants Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper invite you to replace this outdated and limiting model with "squiggly" careers: dynamic, open-ended growth paths tailor-made for your individual needs, talents and ambitions.

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Find out how your apprentice will be assessed at the end of their apprenticeship and what they’ll need to demonstrate to finish successfully.

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Rapid Read: How do I write a CV? - Amazing Apprenticeships

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Rapid Reads, application, apply, cv, recruitment

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Choose from five different kinds of interview, from first job to career changes, and rehearse your answers to the kind of questions you can expect whatever job you're going for.

You'll get top interview tips next to our model answers. In addition, if using a webcam on a desktop or laptop computer, this tool allows you to record and play back your own answers to see how you come across and where you could improve.

We won't store your video after you've finished watching it, so if you want to remember your best bits to use in a real interview, remember to make notes as you play them back.

The more you practise, the more confident you'll feel about the real thing.

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Interview Techniques | Mock Job Interview Practice | LifeSkills

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Choose from five different kinds of interview, from first job to career changes, and rehearse your answers to the kind of questions you can expect whatever job you're going for. You'll get top interview tips next to our model answers.

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What are Core transferable skills and why are they important? A skill refers to carrying out a specific task, or being able to do something well. When we talk about core transferable skills we mean skills which can be transferred, or moved, from one setting to a different one - whether that's from one job to another, or perhaps one hobby to another hobby.

From problem solving to creativity, it's likely you are already using some core transferable skills. Find out which ones and explore others by watching our short film outlining examples of 8 of these skills.

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Transferable skills examples film | Barclays LifeSkills

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What are Core transferable skills and why are they important? A skill refers to carrying out a specific task, or being able to do something well. When we talk about core transferable skills we mean skills which can be transferred, or moved, from one setting to a different one - whether that's from one job to another, or perhaps one hobby to another hobby.

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InSight™ will help to clarify and prioritize your values as they pertain to your working life. Tools such as this inventory are used in career planning, or may also be used for selecting a company or position. The more your work life reflects your most highly regarded values, the more fulfilled you likely will be.

While values are unique to each individual, they typically change over time. For example, the values you had ten years ago may be quite different from the values you hold today, so feel free to take this inventory periodically!

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InSight™ Values / Work Characteristics Inventory

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InSight™ will help to clarify and prioritize your values as they pertain to your working life. Tools such as this inventory are used in career planning, or may also be used for selecting a company or position. The more your work life reflects your most highly regarded values, the more fulfilled you likely will be.

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Get your custom 15-page career change report You'll get a detailed explanation of the stage you're in, the three most effective next steps you can

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Assessment.com - Home of the MAPP Assessment - Assessment.com

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Looking for a new career or job? Take the online MAPP test and find out what truly motivates you!

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TheCareerTest, the world's most popular site for professional growth.

The Career Test is a 15-minute questionnaire that matches your interests, ambitions, background, personality, and workplace preferences with probable occupations using powerful machine learning.

After you've completed the survey, the results will provide you an overview of the types of occupations that match your personality and interests, as well as particular disciplines to investigate.

Get ready

Make sure you're in a comfortable environment where you can focus on this
15-minute test.

Take the career test

You will answer 100 questions about yourself. There's no wrong answers so feel free to pick any answer.

Get your results

View your full Career Report online.
Discover your work personality strengths and career list.

We've helped millions of individuals discover their dream jobs

Thanks to this career test you will find out

The career fields to consider
How much money you can make in jobs that fit your personality
Your key skills that can be put to work
Your management and leadership style
Your personality energy at work
Your performing style as a group
Your work personality's potential flaws

Join the millions of people who have already taken our test.

Ready to change your life for the best?

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The Career Test is a 15-minute questionnaire that matches your interests, ambitions, background, personality, and workplace preferences with probable occupations using powerful machine learning. After you've completed the survey, the results will provide you an overview of the types of occupations that match your personality and interests, as well as particular disciplines to investigate.

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Discover your top career matches using CareerExplorer's cutting-edge science

Rapidly-advancing platform

Our machine learning models train on millions of data points, constantly improving the reliability and validity of our career test results.

Comprehensive model

We provide career matches based on your interests, goals, history, workplace preferences, and personality.

Intelligent enhancements

We continuously tweak our algorithms and update our datasets to provide industry-leading match accuracy.

Up-to-date information

We update our database of 1500+ career and degree profiles constantly to reflect the ever-changing world of work.

Get personalized recommendations

Learn as you go

Each part of the career test unlocks new discoveries - insights into what makes you unique and what career paths you'll find most fulfilling, building up to your final results.

Insights worth mentioning

Share your discoveries with friends and colleagues

Are you a Visionary? Scholar? Builder? Share your personality archetype and career matches with your community with one simple click.

Work on your schedule

Complete the career test on your time

Our career test is thorough to give you the most accurate results, not just a quick, generic snapshot. Take the test on your phone, at your desk, on a commute - and come back to it anytime. You can always pick up where you leave off.

Find your career matches

Find your career matches

How We Determine Your Matches

Four dimensions of career fit

Whether you're pursuing education, in the early career stages of your career, pivoting to a new path, or just looking for answers, we're here to help you discover where you'll find happiness in the world of work.

Let's get started

How our career test works

How our career test works

Measure who you are

We ask you a series of questions that correspond to 150+ personality traits and learn about your career interests, skills, and goals.

Calculate career attributes

We produce detailed profiles of 1,500+ careers and degrees based on labor market data, psychometric profiles, and other users' reported happiness in them.

Compare the data

We compare these two datasets to determine your compatibility with the careers and degrees in our database.

Determine your top career matches

We surface the careers and degrees that are top matches for you, and provide insights on your unique personality.

What makes us unique

What makes us unique

We have more data and tools to optimize our career predictions than any other career test on the planet. This means your results are accurate, thorough, and nuanced, not a quick, generic snapshot like so many other career tests.

Personality insights based on the Big 5 Model

Personality insights based on Holland Codes

Personality insights paired with career relevance

How much does it cost?

We want to help everyone learn more about themselves and make informed career decisions, so we've made our entire experience free. You'll get your career and degree matches, insights, and even reports for free.

How long will the test take?

The full assessment takes about 30 minutes to complete. The thoroughness of our career test allows us to deliver personalized, nuanced results. We believe you shouldn't base major life decisions - like your education and career - on a quick five-minute quiz. The assessment is made up of five sections and each unlocks an additional dimension of fit.

Why should I trust my career results?

We are very good at predicting the right career matches. During the test, we ask you for your general interest in a handful of randomly selected careers, as well as how satisfied you were in any previous careers. Our models use this information to get a baseline understanding of who you are and what you're interested in, but it's also anonymously combined with all the data we have from other users on their interests, as well as their satisfaction with their previous careers and degrees. We train ever better models from this growing dataset to better identify how your interests, work and education history, and personality inform what careers you'd be a good fit in. The predictions are unique to you but validated against millions of other users.

Can I retake the career test?

Yes, you can reset your account to take the career test more than once. Many people take the test on a semi-regular basis to see how their interests and results evolve over time.

Why do my results change?

Our career matching system updates in real-time, meaning that whenever you give us a new piece of relevant information, we will automatically update all of our recommendations for you. As we gather more data and create better models, it's also possible that your results might change as we better understand what makes a career the right fit for someone.

Who developed this career test?

Our career test items were developed by a team of I/O psychologists with years of experience in the field of psychometrics. Career data comes from numerous sources, including the the US Department of Labour's O*Net Database, US Bureau of Statistics, UK government, CareerExplorer user data, and Sokanu's proprietary in-house content team.

The career test platform is developed and maintained by the Sokanu team.

Who is this career test designed for?

People start new careers at many different stages of life, and nothing about our assessment is age-specific. We've designed a career test that works for adults as well as high school and college students.

Does your test discriminate?

We don't use race or gender when generating matches, and we work hard to make sure that our test doesn't discriminate where relevant.

How is my personal data handled?

We firmly believe that you own your data, not us. We never sell your personal data to third parties and we use industry-standard best practices, making sure your private information is always encrypted and secure. We are also happy to delete your data upon request.

Join millions of people at all stages of their career journeys using the CareerExplorer test to find their next steps.

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Career Test | The World's Best Career Test - CareerExplorer

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Take the free test now to discover your top careers and detailed personality traits using advanced machine learning, psychometrics, and cutting-edge science.

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Our mission is simple: to support our users in total career advancement.

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960,982 TESTS TAKEN IN THE LAST 30 DAYS

Free career quiz uses the respected Holland Code system to show you which jobs will suit your interests, talents, and aptitude. Get scores for 6 major job areas to guide your career planning.

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Free career quiz uses the respected Holland Code system to show you which jobs will suit your interests, talents, and aptitude. Get scores for 6 major job areas to guide your career planning.

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apprenticeshipguide.co.uk: Verifying that you are not a robot…

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Creating millions of career lightbulb moments

We are working until every young person has their chance to flourish in the world of work!

Our work, focused where it is needed the most, helps talented individuals to identify and nurture their capabilities, by providing information and inspiration about the possibilities for their education and careers, all free at the point of use, and directly helping schools with OFSTED and Gatsby interaction with employer targets.

By connecting young people and business through our national network of partner companies and industry volunteers, we deliver programmes that are transforming the lives of young people and the opportunities for business.

About us Our impact

Grab your career lightbulb moment

Are you 14-19?

Hear from those already making it in the world of work and prepare for your future after school or college. Watch and hear accurate and up-to-date information from businesses at the cutting edge of their industries, providing life-changing career discovery moments.

Visit our Student Zone

Help meet OFSTED & Gatsby targets

Educators

We add significant value to the curriculum by connecting young people directly with business through our national network of partner companies and volunteers, delivering programmes online and face-to-face within school and industry settings, transforming the lives of young people.

Find out more

Support the future of work

Corporate Supporters

Realising untapped potential in the UK is critical for improving economic productivity. The benefits of our work to individuals and our society are many - increased confidence, improved mental wellbeing, enhanced social mobility, and greater workforce diversity and inclusivity. Help drive that change by patterning with us.

Fund our work

You can change a young person's future

Volunteer

Everyone's journey can be inspiring. Share yours and help create vital lightbulb moments for young people. We encourage our volunteers to share their personal stories, giving crucial inspiration to help the young people we work with see that 'if they can do it, I can do it too'. Helping them to realise their talent at critical moments.

Volunteer for us

young people engaged in schools, colleges and online

free Insights from Industry sessions and employability skills workshops delivered

students participating in our programme have increased career aspirations

students participating in our programme increased their confidence in what is possible for them

industry volunteers delivering Insights from Industry sessions, employability workshops and Masterclasses

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Latest news about our work, partners, fundraising events and more.

See all news

Working Options in Education is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1185696 | Registered address: Bridge House, 2 Bridge Avenue, Maidenhead,
SL6 1RR

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Working Options in Education is a charity that has been helping young people to aim high and fulfil their potential since 2010. Our employability and life skills programme is delivered free in schools, colleges and online. We offer young people multiple interactions with our employer partners and volunteers.

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Whether you're deciding what to study, taking your exams, planning a career, or just curious, we're here to explain the world of work, with advice from people who've found the right path for them.

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We use cookies to collect information about how you use the National Careers Service. This information is used to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services.

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Tell us whether you accept cookies We use cookies to collect information about how you use the National Careers Service. This information is used to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services.

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Take the first step towards a career today

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Apprenticeships with GetMyFirstJob. A whole new way to find your first Apprenticeships, Degree Apprenticeships, Work Experience or Graduate Job, with world class employers and training providers

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Amazing Apprenticeships | Explore Vocational Education & Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Amazing Apprenticeships is a leading organisation in the education sector.

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Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service

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The National Careers Service can help you with your career, learning and training choices. Find out more about us and the different ways we can support you. This service is available to people who live in England.

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NHS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS for 2023! (How to PASS an NHS INTERVIEW!)

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Search for courses, get advice on applying and starting uni! Discover Uni is the official source of data, information and guidance about higher education across the UK. You can find information and resources to help you research your higher education options, and search and compare official data for…