The world of work has seen plenty of change in recent years, with technology playing a bigger role than ever in how industries grow and adapt. While some sectors have faced challenges, many others are finding new opportunities and evolving to meet fresh demand. As we look ahead, there’s reason to feel optimistic. Businesses are becoming more agile, jobseekers are gaining new skills, and emerging trends suggest positive movement in several key areas of the job market. So, what might 2025 bring - and how can candidates prepare?

Here are some of the key stats:

• Unemployment rate: 4.4% - slightly up on last year
• Wage growth: Up 5.9% over the last 12 months
• Job vacancies: Down 10.7% year-on-year, now at 816,000
• Inflation: Sitting at 2.6%, offering a little more stability

So, while some businesses are still hiring, and pay has increased, the number of open positions has dropped - and that’s led to more competition and tighter recruitment strategies.

Trends shaping the future of work

No more jobs for life

The idea of a job for life is becoming less and less common. Workers today are far more likely to move around - sometimes by choice, sometimes because the industry they’re in is shifting faster than expected. According to Michael Page’s latest Talent Trends data, 34% of UK workers are ready to make a career move within the next three months, and 43% say they’ve missed out on a great opportunity in the past because they were hesitant to leave a job.

This shows that the appetite to change roles is there - but confidence isn’t always. A sense of caution remains: according to the same survey, 51% of workers feel stuck, citing economic uncertainty, fewer opportunities for promotion and limited pay progression as key reasons. These pressures are changing how people view work in 2025, and pushing them to search for roles where development, flexibility and long-term value are more visible from day one.

Employers, meanwhile, are trying to respond - but it’s not simple. 60% say they’ve struggled to hire in the past year, largely because of mismatched salary expectations and a shortage of the right skills. This has created a kind of tug-of-war between job seekers and companies, stretching out recruitment timelines and increasing costs.

The result is a job market where flexibility matters more than loyalty in 2025, and where making a move is often less risky than staying still. For job seekers, this creates space to rethink what a career could look like - not just in terms of titles, but in terms of training, culture and future prospects.

Tech, automation and job creation

The tech industry continues to grow, but the connection between growth and employment isn’t always straightforward. In some cases, it means doing more with fewer people.

According to the Tony Blair Institute, between now and 2050, AI could displace between one and three million UK jobs by 2050, with a peak of up to 275,000 roles lost per year during the height of adoption. The jobs most at risk include those involving repetitive tasks or routine decision-making, such as administration or data-heavy roles in finance and banking.

That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean fewer jobs overall. The same report makes clear that AI is also likely to create new roles. These newly created positions could help pull displaced workers back into the workforce over time. It’s also possible that the worst effects on unemployment will fade gradually, rather than hitting all at once.

Meanwhile, the British Safety Council reports that most employers don’t foresee a complete shift to AI in 2025: just 20% expect even 10% of their workforce to be replaced between now and 2034, while 19% expect no replacement at all. Manual jobs - including those in skilled trades, utilities and construction - are much less exposed to AI-related disruption. These roles still rely on physical presence, hands-on problem-solving, and adaptive thinking in a way that’s difficult to automate.

A more unpredictable economy

Economic uncertainty has been one of the defining themes of the past year - and it’s set to continue in 2025. Rising interest rates, inflationary pressure and international political shifts have all contributed to a job market that’s harder to predict. Many employers are responding cautiously, holding off on hiring, streamlining teams or delaying investment decisions.

According to the ICAEW, the UK economy recorded zero growth in Q3 2024, and even shrank in October - marking the first back-to-back monthly GDP decline since March 2020. Retail, hospitality and energy sectors were especially affected, with insolvencies expected to rise in 2025 due to increasing business costs, including the April rise in National Insurance contributions. This has created additional strain in industries that were already under pressure.

Inflation, which stood at 2.6% in late 2024, is expected to peak above 3% in the first half of 2025, before gradually falling again. However, the Bank of England is likely to take a slow and cautious route to any interest rate cuts, meaning borrowing will remain expensive for businesses, and lead to the potential for hiring freezes and redundancies.

And yet, not all sectors are shrinking. Infrastructure and social care remain in demand, with ongoing needs for skilled, stable workforces. These industries offer some of the most resilient opportunities in the current climate, making them worth a closer look for anyone hoping to move into a more secure role this year.

The growing importance of training and development

According to the UK Cabinet Office’s 2025 review of evidence, learning and development (L&D) doesn’t just help people gain new skills - it also builds confidence, supports mental health, and improves retention. The review found that even moderate amounts of job-related training (over 24 hours a year) led to measurable boosts in life satisfaction, especially for younger workers and people living in deprived areas.

This is part of a wider pattern: companies that invest in training in 2025 will be better placed to adapt to change and retain staff. Workers benefit from clearer career paths, internal mobility and stronger engagement, while businesses gain from higher productivity and lower turnover.

The report also underlines the value of wellbeing through learning - pointing out that formal courses, workplace qualifications or even informal skill-building can act as stabilisers in times of stress or uncertainty. For people looking for a fresh start or stepping into a new industry, these opportunities aren’t just about the next promotion - they offer a sense of direction and long-term value.

It's clear that jobseekers in 2025 are looking beyond the job title. They know that if a company invests in growth, supports structured learning and offers room to build a future, then it’s a workplace worth considering.​

What this means for job seekers

The job market in 2025 still offers new opportunities - but they’re not always where people expect. While some candidates are chasing the same roles they did five years ago, others are finding better outcomes by thinking differently. There’s real value in looking towards industries that are essential, forward-thinking and actively hiring.

Utilities, infrastructure and services like drainage are examples of sectors where demand isn’t slowing down. Ageing infrastructure, a changing climate and population growth all drive growth in these fields - and automation isn’t replacing these roles any time soon.

Why Lanes Group makes sense right now

If you're rethinking your next move or looking for something more stable, Lanes Group offer a range of careers that meets different skills and needs. We're one of the UK’s leading drainage and wastewater companies, providing skilled jobs across the country - with training, support, and room to grow.

Join us and you can expect:

• A wide choice of job openings across operations, engineering and support.
• Training and development from day one - ideal if you’re learning or returning to work.
• Support with your application and CV, especially if you're new to the industry.
• Fair pay and benefits that reflect the work you do.
• A company culture focused on mental health and wellbeing.
• A clear effort to make the workforce more inclusive, including support for women in drainage engineering roles.

Lanes is growing its network of skilled workers in 2025 by focusing on what’s relevant - training, leadership and job security in a sector that matters. If you’re hoping to find something that offers a sense of purpose, good pay, and a clear route forward, a role at Lanes might be exactly what you need. Discover our open roles today.

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