The North West added nearly 4,000 direct roles, while the South East gained more than 3,000 jobs over the same period. The UK defence workforce now comprises 462,000 positions across the Armed Forces, industry and the Civil Service.
Employment related to the manufacture of weapons, ammunition and military fighting vehicles rose by 2,000 to 5,900. The government said the increase reflects its drive to rebuild a sovereign, “always on” munitions supply pipeline capable of producing artillery and missiles at greater scale in the UK.
“These figures show that a rising defence budget is creating more good jobs across the UK,” Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said. “Defence is an engine for growth and our investments are driving reindustrialisation.”
“As we increase our military readiness and capabilities we are generating good well-paid jobs nationwide,” Pollard added. The wider increase of 26,000 roles covers both direct manufacturing positions and indirect employment across the supply chain.
The government said expanding domestic manufacturing capacity is central to strengthening warfighting readiness and deterring threats. It also linked defence investment to skilled employment, regional economic opportunities and the development of a more resilient industrial base.
The employment figures follow a recent £8.4 billion commitment to advance the UK’s next-generation nuclear submarines. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise supports 47,000 jobs and more than 6,000 suppliers across the country.
Growth in defence-supported employment is expected to accelerate under the Defence Investment Plan, which commits £298 billion to UK defence over the next four years. The government said the plan will sustain investment in British munitions, shipbuilding and advanced technology as part of the country’s economic renewal.
