Job Security In The UK: What To Do If Your Job Isn’t Secure In 2026

In times of economic uncertainty, job security is a primary concern for millions worldwide. Here in the UK, things are no different.

Even that only tells half the story. In the modern pursuit of profits, companies feel beholden to shareholders and executives and happily cut staff rosters even when they’re making record profits, just to boost those numbers further.

While this is most prominent in the United States, it happens worldwide.

The truth is that relatively few people in the UK have true job security. Most of us are beholden to the market’s whims, seasonal shifts, sudden competition, being let go at a manager’s whim, and a range of other risks.

Job security is distressingly scarce. A 2020 report even found that up to 60% of Britain’s workforce feels insecure. The pandemic didn’t help, but the trend remains worrisome.

So what can you do if your job isn’t secure, you’re worried about your future, or you want some leeway in case the worst happens?

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Why Job Insecurity is Rising

For various reasons, job insecurity is at a near all-time high, locally and globally.

From the top down, companies have no qualms about firing or letting workers go to run on the thinnest possible workforce.

Payroll is one of a typical firm’s largest expenses, so cutting workers, even if it means overworking those who remain, benefits the short-term bottom line.

This isn’t limited to specific sectors, either. You can see it in banks, in tech firms, and everywhere else. Some areas tend to have more security, like the tenured positions in academia (specifically, non-tenure roles are among the least secure in the UK), engineering, healthcare, and primary school teaching.

You also face pressure from advancing technology. The hottest buzzword on everyone’s lips right now is AI, with generative AI making all manner of positions redundant, cutting out creatives in technical and business writing, illustrators and graphic designers in marketing and production, and more.

AI also takes over in back-end roles, condensing what used to be several positions into one.

AI, of course, is evolving rapidly. It’s facing legal challenges, and there’s a lot to sort out about its ethics and legality. That doesn’t stop companies from taking whatever short-term advantage they can.

There’s also the broad shift to more freelancing and gig work. Food service doesn’t need to maintain as many delivery drivers when Deliveroo will do it for them. 

Taxis now work with Uber rather than face stiff competition from the subsidised app rideshare system. People who formerly worked salaried or hourly roles now have to find those same roles on contract, with far less security and stability than before.

Of course, the elephant in the room is Brexit, which still has far-reaching consequences for partnerships, logistics, shipping, and doing business across the rest of Europe.

Whether you were for or against it in the referendum, it has had a detrimental effect across the UK. From the bottom up, job security is a different beast.

Overview of job security across various industries and regions in the UK

Best Industries For Job Security In The UK

Industry	Redundancies in 2023
Agriculture, Fishing, and Utilities	5,051
Public Administration and Law	12,446
Education	18,759
Miscellaneous Services	22,556
Transport and Storage	23,391
Human Health and Social Work	15,335

Worst Industries For Job Security In The UK

Industry	Redundancies in 2023
Wholesale, Retail, and Motor Repair	71,789
Manufacturing	57,376
Hospitality	32,623
Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate	31,088
Administrative and Support Services	30,021

Best Areas In the UK For Job Security

Region	Redundancies in 2023
Northern Ireland	7,579
North East	14,663
Wales	15,218
Scotland	26,431
East Midlands	28,473

Worst Areas In The UK For Job Security

Region	Redundancies in 2023
South East	72,324
London	66,844
East of England	43,636
North West	42,542
South West	42,201

Unfortunately, there’s not actually much you, as an employee, can do to increase your job security.

When you’re getting hired for a job, you can improve your security through contract negotiations. Having set terms for your minimum hours and other protections (like union backing) can make it harder or costlier to fire you.

This doesn’t always stop it from happening (sometimes with incredible results), but there are many ways a firm can make it such a hostile workplace that you either suffer – physically, mentally, emotionally – or quit with no recourse.

With job insecurity plaguing every industry, every role, top to bottom, what can you do? 

Making Your Job More Secure

This is going to be a short section because – to put it honestly – there isn’t much you can do to make a current job more secure.

You can do extra work and hope that it’s recognised, but will it be? Often, it just means you’ll burn yourself out and be dropped the moment that productivity fades. There’s often not much you can do through sheer productivity that can save you.

Networking is another story. By shmoozing with the bosses, you may be able to keep your name from the list of those cut when the time comes. It’s far from guaranteed – and if you find it personally distasteful, it can be highly stressful – but it may help if you can pull it off.

One of the more reliable ways to improve your job security is to join – or even form – a union. Unions have power with collective bargaining, contracts with standard rules and terms, and more.

There’s plenty of pressure from the government and elsewhere to make unions worse, but you have to think why that may be. The power they wield for the common people should not be overlooked.

Short of contract terms that enforce your job security (and penalise a company for making your work environment so hostile you want to break the contract yourself), most of what you can do isn’t actually about making your current job more secure.

Instead, you should focus on two things: moving roles to a more secure job and insulating yourself from the negative effects of a layoff.

Finding a Career With Better Job Security

While Baby Boomers and Gen X are used to more secure jobs, younger generations are much more prone to job-hopping.

When companies aren’t loyal to employees when pensions and benefits are cut, when layoffs come at any time, and when upward mobility is much more limited, it’s no surprise that younger people find the best way to improve their position is to leave it.

The hope, then, is to rise to a position at less risk of being cut, with greater job security and a more fulfilling overall role. What should you look for in a job to make sure it’s as secure as possible?

First up, ask the right questions in an interview. Remember, interviews are about more than just the firm evaluating you; it’s about you evaluating your fit with the firm. 

Some questions you might consider asking include:

You can also research a firm ahead of time. If you search for the firm’s name and see reports of layoffs, well, you have your answer. It’s also possible to seek out existing or former employees on sites like LinkedIn and simply ask. 

If you get far enough in the interview process to be offered a contract, you can also evaluate that contract for signs of security.

Minimum-hour contracts, contracts with defined responsibilities and scopes, and contracts with self-limiting language can be good because they indicate the firm isn’t in the business of exploiting workers.

Finally, and obviously, a role with a union attached will give you a higher degree of security than one without. 

Protecting Yourself from Job Insecurity

Whether you work in an insecure role, you’re worried about overall job security regardless of the reality of the role, or you simply can’t find a role with the signs of security, there are always going to be reasons to insulate yourself from a sudden job loss.

After all, even the most secure job can be cut out from under you during a recession or if something happens to the firm at a high enough level that it needs to fold.

• Work on building up savings. Far too many people increase their lifestyles to match their income rather than maintaining a standard of living that lets them plan for the future. Instead of treating extra money as expendable, invest it in long-term, high-yield savings, and other vehicles for the future.
• Proactively negotiate and pay off debts. You might be surprised at the leeway you can get from creditors simply by remaining in communication with them. Paying off your debts is a good first step towards financial independence and a more secure future.
• Control expenses and cut back on unnecessary lifestyle shine. Living within your means matters, and while appearances can feel bad if you aren’t “keeping up” with your neighbours, a good budget can help you feel secure despite it. The cost of living keeps rising, so it’s critical to know where you stand.

You need to do what you can to secure their futures, not just your own.

Is the redundancy rate in the United Kingdom increasing?