UK Unemployment Hits 5%: Why Electricians Aren’t Worried (And You Shouldn’t Be Either)
- Technical review: Thomas Jevons (Head of Training, 20+ years)
- Employability review: Joshua Jarvis (Placement Manager)
- Editorial review: Jessica Gilbert (Marketing Editorial Team)
Changes: Initial publication following ONSunemployment data release 11 November 2025
Introduction
The Office for National Statistics dropped its latest employment figures on 11 November 2025. UK unemployment has climbed to 5.0% for the three months ending September 2025—the highest since early 2021. That’s 1.7 million people aged 16 and over now out of work, up from 1.6 million the quarter before.
Payroll numbers from HMRC tell the same story: 180,000 fewer people in work compared to last year. Vacancies have been falling for 10 consecutive months. If you’re on a zero-hour contract, you’re one of 1.2 million people in increasingly insecure work.
But here’s what the headlines won’t tell you: not all sectors are suffering equally. If you’re thinking about retraining as an electrician, these numbers actually make the case stronger, not weaker.
What's Actually Happening With UK Jobs
The ONS figures show unemployment up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. That might sound small, but it represents about 100,000 more people out of work in just three months. Employment rate for 16-64 year olds has dropped to 75.0%.
Wage growth has softened to 4.6% annually, which is still above inflation but shows workers have less bargaining power than they did. More importantly, certain sectors are getting hammered: retail, logistics, and admin work have seen the sharpest vacancy drops.
The reasons? Employer National Insurance Contributions went up, costing businesses an extra £5 billion annually. They’re responding by freezing hiring. AI and automation are accelerating job displacement in mid-skill office roles. And economic inactivity sits at 22.3% of the working-age population—that’s 9.4 million people not working and not looking for work, often due to long-term sickness.
What does this mean if you’re considering a career change? It means choosing a sector that isn’t easily automated, that has genuine skills shortages, and that benefits from government investment rather than cuts.
The Trades Are Different (Here's the Data)
In our Wolverhampton training centre over the past six months, we’ve seen a 34% increase in enquiries from people who’ve been made redundant. These aren’t school leavers. We’re talking about 28-year-old retail managers, 35-year-old warehouse supervisors, 42-year-old admin workers who’ve watched their roles get automated.
The common thread? They’re looking for work that can’t be done remotely, can’t be replaced by AI, and is in genuine demand.
Placement demand exceeds supply: Our in-house recruitment team calls 120+ contractors daily. Right now, for every qualified electrician we place, there are roughly 2.5 open positions we can’t fill. That ratio has been consistent since July 2025, even as unemployment climbed.
Green energy is driving demand: Solar installation enquiries to our partner contractors are up 47% year-on-year. EV charging point installations are up 68%. These aren’t speculative numbers—they’re actual job requests we struggle to fill because there aren’t enough qualified people.
Government spending priorities favour trades: Labour’s £1 billion boost for apprenticeships and skills training is aimed squarely at vocational routes. The Department for Education’s focus on T-Levels and adult retraining benefits electrical work far more than office-based sectors.
Where the Work Actually Is (Regional Breakdown)
The ONS regional data shows unemployment isn’t uniform. London’s sitting at 5.5%+, the highest in the country. The North East is at 5.2%. But here’s what matters for electrical work: vacancy distribution doesn’t mirror unemployment rates.
Scotland’s unemployment is 3.7% with a 76.5% employment rate, and our Glasgow based partner contractors are desperate for qualified sparks. The South West is at 3.8% unemployment with a 79.5% employment rate, and every holiday let conversion, every new build needs electrical work to BS 7671 standards.
Northern Ireland’s unemployment is below 2.0%, which sounds great until you realise it creates labour shortages in construction trades. One of our placement partners in Belfast told us in October 2025 they’re turning down domestic installation work because they can’t staff it.
What this means practically: if you’re willing to be mobile, electrical qualifications open doors across the UK. The work follows population and development, not traditional industrial centres.
AI Isn't Taking Electrical Jobs
Let’s address automation head-on. Yes, AI is displacing jobs in retail, logistics, and admin work. The data backs this up—10 consecutive months of vacancy falls in these sectors.
But you can’t automate BS 7671 compliance. You can’t get an AI to prove dead a circuit, physically test RCD trip times, or install a consumer unit safely. Design software is getting smarter, diagnostic tools use AI, but the physical work and legal responsibility for safety certification requires a human with proper qualifications.
In our training bays, we’ve started including digital tools in our 2357 NVQ programme. Learners use apps for calculations, digital testing equipment with Bluetooth connectivity, even AI-assisted fault-finding guides. But every single one of those tools still requires someone who understands earth loop impedance and knows what to do when something doesn’t match the design.
"AI might help you calculate cable sizes faster, but it won't crawl through a loft in February to pull cables. It won't negotiate with a homeowner about relocating a consumer unit. And it definitely won't sign off an installation certificate and take legal responsibility for compliance."
What This Means If You're Considering Training
Unemployment at 5% means competition for generic jobs is fierce. But it also means more people are looking at vocational retraining, and government funding is following that demand.
Here’s what we’re seeing in enquiries since the ONS data came out:
More career changers, better commitment. People who’ve been made redundant from sectors with no growth path are approaching electrical training seriously. They understand it’s an 18-month to 3-year commitment for the full pathway, but they see it as genuine route to stable, well-paid work.
Older learners, transferable skills. We’ve had a spike in enquiries from 32-48 year olds with project management, customer service, or technical backgrounds. These skills transfer surprisingly well. Managing a domestic installation requires project planning. Explaining regulations to a homeowner requires communication skills.
Realistic salary expectations. When unemployment climbs, people research properly. They understand trainee rates start around £16-19/hour depending on region, building to £22-26/hour once qualified, and £30-45/hour for those who go self-employed or specialise in inspection & testing, EV, solar, or industrial work.
Joshua Jarvis, our Placement Manager, notes: “Consistent, logged site experience is essential when it comes to AM2 readiness.” That’s especially true now. Employers want people with not just the qualifications but the right attitude and willingness to learn on site.
The Fast-Track Myth vs The Real Route
Here’s where we need to be honest. You’ll see ads claiming you can become a “qualified electrician” in 5 weeks. You can’t. Not to UK standards.
What you can do in 5 weeks: complete the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations course. That’s important and required. But on its own, it proves you understand theory, not that you can safely install or test to BS 7671 standards.
The actual route to qualified electrician status (JIB Gold Card) looks like this:
- 1.Level 2 & 3 (2365) – 12 weeks combined for installation theory and practical fundamentals
- 2.18th Edition – 5 days covering BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 Wiring Regulations
- 3.NVQ Level 3 (2357) – 12-24 months portfolio of evidence from real site work
- 4.AM2 practical exam – 3 days hands-on assessment proving competency
- 5.JIB Gold Card – Application with proof of NVQ, 18th Edition, AM2, and site experience
Total realistic timeframe: 18 months fast-track with guaranteed placements (which we offer), or up to 3 years part-time alongside other work.
Total cost at Elec Training: £10,500 for the full NVQ package, including AM2 fee and PPE.
Why does this matter when unemployment is at 5%? Because employers can afford to be picky. The skills shortage is real, but it’s a shortage of properly qualified people, not bodies.
Government Response: Where the Money's Going
Labour’s response to rising unemployment includes a £1 billion boost for apprenticeships and T-Levels, aimed at getting people into vocational routes. This benefits electrical training directly.
The Department for Education is focusing on expanding adult retraining programmes, supporting career changers into skilled trades, developing green skills (solar, EV, heat pumps), and addressing economic inactivity through back-to-work schemes.
What this means practically: more funding for adult learners, more employer incentives for taking on NVQ learners, and more focus on pathways that lead to genuine employment.
The “Get Britain Working” initiative specifically targets people in insecure work or economically inactive. Electrical training qualifies because it leads to regulated, skilled employment with clear career progression.
The timing works in your favour. By the time you complete your NVQ and AMÂ (18-24 months), any economic recovery will be underway, and you’ll be qualified precisely when demand is rising.
What To Do Next
If you’re unemployed, in insecure work, or in a sector facing automation, here’s the reality: electrical training isn’t a quick fix, but it is a genuine pathway to stable work that can’t be outsourced or automated.
The ONS data shows unemployment at 5% overall, but for qualified electricians with proper credentials, effective unemployment is near zero. Our placement network can’t fill roles fast enough.
What we’re not going to tell you:
- That you’ll be earning £50k in six months
- That a 5-week course makes you qualified
- That it’s easy
What we will tell you:
- The full pathway takes 18 months to 3 years
- It costs £10,500 for our complete NVQ package
- Our in-house recruitment team works with 120+ contractors to secure placements
- Qualified electricians have genuine job security even when unemployment is rising
- Green energy work is creating additional demand
Call us on 0330 822 5337 to discuss the fastest route to qualified electrician status. We’ll explain exactly what you need, how long it takes, and what our in-house recruitment team can do to secure your first placement. No hype. No unrealistic promises. Just practical guidance from people who’ve placed hundreds of learners with UK contractors even as unemployment climbed to 5%.
References
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Labour Market Overview, UK: November 2025 –
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/latest - ONS Regional Labour Market Statistics – October 2025 –
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/regionallabourmarket - HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) – Payroll Statistics –
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/earnings-and-employment-from-payas-you-earn-real-time-information-uk - Department for Education – Skills and Apprenticeships Policy 2025 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education - IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 – https://www.theiet.org/
- City & Guilds 2357 NVQ Level 3 Specification – https://www.cityandguilds.com/
- JIB/ECS Card Requirements – https://www.jib.org.uk/
Note on Accuracy and Updates
Last reviewed: 12 November 2025. This page is maintained; we correct errors and refresh sources as employment data and government policy changes. ONS unemployment figures cited are for the three months ending September 2025, released 11 November 2025. Next review scheduled following Q4 2025 ONS release (February
2026).
