The job sectors with the most worker shortages in the UK right now

The Office for National Statistics has published its latest Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) which explores some of the biggest challenges UK businesses face right now.

The data shows that one in seven (14%) trading businesses reported that their turnover had increased in April compared with the previous calendar month, down four percentage points from March. By comparison, 24% reported that their turnover had decreased, remaining broadly stable over the same period.

Around one in seven (14%) trading businesses also reported that they expect their turnover to decrease in June 2025, down two percentage points from expectations for May 2025. This proportion is four percentage points higher than June 2024, suggesting that businesses are more pessimistic than they were at this time last year.

Economic uncertainty was the most reported challenge affecting turnover for trading businesses in early May 2025, at 30%, down three percentage points from early April 2025; for businesses with 10 or more employees, the most commonly reported challenge was cost of labour at 39%, down two percentage points over the same period.

Worker shortages

Of the businesses with 10 or more employees, 18% reported worker shortages in early May. This has remained broadly stable since October 2024.

The industries with the highest proportion of businesses with 10 or more employees experiencing worker shortages were:

• The transportation and storage industry (27%)
• The human health and social work activities industry (27%)
• The accommodation and food service activities industry (22%)

Notably, around half (46%) of trading businesses with 10 or more employees cited labour costs as a reason for considering raising their prices in June 2025; while this is down eight percentage points from May 2025, it is seven percentage points higher than June 2024.

Around one in six (16%) trading businesses expect to raise the prices of goods or services they sell in June 2025. This is down eight percentage points from expectations for May 2025, and the lowest proportion since December 2024.

There are 60% of trading businesses that expect to keep the prices of goods or services they sell in June 2025 the same. This is up 10 percentage points from expectations for May 2025, and the largest proportion recorded since December 2024.

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