Industries with the Highest Growth in Employment in the UK in 2025

1. Waste Management Services in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 28.3%

The Waste Management Services industry plays a vital role in ensuring that residential and commercial development sites meet regulatory standards regarding contamination. Waste companies provide a range of services, including the remediation and decontamination of soil, groundwater and surface water, the cleaning of pollution such as oil spills and the safe treatment of toxic materials. Interest in site preparation, the level of public concern over environmental issues, weather conditions and the level of government expenditure all play a vital role in driving waste management companies' performance. Revenue is anticipated to expand at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the... Learn More

2. Vodka Distilleries in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 24.6%

Alcohol consumption, demand from pubs and bars, disposable income, health consciousness and the exchange rate heavily influence vodka distilleries revenue. The COVID-19 pandemic led to strict restrictions imposed on the hospitality sector, with sales to the on-trade tumbling as a result. Rising rates of at-home social gatherings led to an uptick in sales to the off-trade, although this wasn't enough to prevent a substantial fall in revenue and profitability in 2020-21. Revenue rebounded in 2021-22 as social distancing restrictions eased and people flocked back to bars and pubs. Demand for premium spirits is driving revenue growth in 2023-24, although it's... Learn More

3. Language Learning Software Developers in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 24.0%

The language learning software industry has boomed, with revenue estimated to hike at a compound annual rate of 17% over the five years through 2023-24. Its successful performance is partially due to the infancy of the industry, with the majority of language learning platforms being less than 10 years old. Language learning apps surged in popularity among consumers, providing a cheaper alternative to traditional face-to-face courses while offering greater flexibility to users with regard to the time they are willing or able to dedicate to language learning. The number of start-up developers has increased markedly, with many companies having attracted... Learn More

4. Immersive Technology in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 20.0%

Immersive technologies, or extended reality (XR) – an umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and haptics – have recorded a boom in popularity over the past decade. In line with greater social acceptance of technology, XR has revolutionised how people interact with data, information and content, becoming a staple in modern business processes and next-generation entertainment. Recognising that XR could become the ‘new norm', the government, research agencies and private equity stakeholders have supported developments through investment funding and business incubation.

Revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 18.1% to reach... Learn More

5. Fraud Detection Software Developers in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 16.7%

The number of activities conducted on the web, including online commerce and online banking, has surged, triggering an explosion of data tools and software, including software designed to ensure that sensitive personal information and payment card information is kept safe. As organised crime schemes have become increasingly sophisticated, fraud detection software has followed suit. The growth in artificial intelligence has shifted industry interest from rule-based systems to systems powered by machine learning software.

The industry has boomed over the past decade, with revenue estimated to surge at a compound annual rate of 17.5% over the five years through 2023-24 to reach... Learn More

6. Financial Technology in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 16.0%

The UK Financial Technology (FinTech) industry highly fragmented and is expanding rapidly. Over the past five years, areas such as peer-to-peer lending, money transfer and digital banks have performed well. Industry revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.7% over the five years through 2022-23 to reach £12.8 billion. The industry relies heavily on third-party financing. Despite volatile economic conditions over the past five years, both private and public funding have been strong.

Government initiatives have identified the FinTech industry as an important area of future economic growth; in response, the government has put considerable effort into... Learn More

7. Lithium Battery Manufacturing in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 15.4%

Lithium battery manufacturing is ramping up in the UK following substantial support from government-backed R&D investment. Manufacturers are increasingly focused on producing high-quality, low-volume batteries – often to spec – for the defence, medical and automotive industries. Business confidence is a key driver of investment in lithium battery manufacturing, which is driven by the state of the economy. Exports are a key source of revenue; the sustained weakness of the pound has made UK-manufactured batteries more competitively priced, helping to raise export levels. Over the five years through 2023-24, lithium battery manufacturers' revenue is forecast to grow at a compound... Learn More

8. Building Societies in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 15.2%

Building society revenue is anticipated to increase at a compound annual rate of 9% over the five years through 2023-24 to £26 billion. Low interest rates prior to the COVID-19 outbreak aided demand, as residential mortgage repayments became more affordable and the number of mortgage approvals picked up. Building societies have also benefited from an influx of re-mortgaging activity, as homeowners have sought to lock in lower rates before expected interest rate rises. However, societies faced challenging operating conditions, including intense competition from other financial institutions like retail banks, and a tightening regulatory environment.

The COVID-19 outbreak hurt revenue in 2020-21... Learn More

9. Social Media Platforms in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 14.8%

Social media platforms are an integral part of people lives, offering ways to communicate, create and view content and share information. According to Ofcom, approximately 60% of adults in the UK use social media, messaging, video sharing and live-streaming services provided by online communication platforms. People aged between 16 and 34 and the biggest social media users, although there is rapid uptake among older age groups as the ease of use improves. Advertising is the primary revenue source for social media platforms, although subscription-based services are gaining momentum as platforms seek to diversify their incomes. TikTok is the success story... Learn More

10. Motor Vehicle Insurance in the UK

Employment Growth for 2025: 14.6%

Motor Vehicle Insurance revenue is forecast to dip at a compound annual rate of 1.9% over the five years through 2023-24 to £19.9 billion, including an estimated growth of 3.3% in the current year. Often, insurers invest the premiums earned from insurance activities to generate additional income. Since the Solvency II EU directive came into force on January 1 2016, profitability has been constrained as the level of regulation regarding investment picked up. This was worsened by changes to the Ogden rate in March 2017, which lifted the payout due to a claimant compared to the same settlement at the... Learn More