Only one in four UK workers feel job is safe from cut

Only one in four workers in the UK feel their job is safe from elimination, according to ADP, which surveyed nearly 39,000 workers across 36 countries.

UK workers were slightly more confident than the global average, with 25% saying their role was safe from elimination, compared with 22% globally and 21% across Europe.

The figures point to a clear divide across the workforce. In the UK, knowledge workers were far more likely to feel secure than those in repetitive roles, with 34% of the former saying their jobs were safe, compared with 19% of the latter.

Gender differences were also pronounced. Women in the UK were less confident than men about their long-term job security, at 22% compared with 28% - the widest gender gap recorded in Europe, ADP said.

Workforce divide

The survey also found differences by employer size. Staff at mid-sized UK companies showed the highest confidence in job security, at 36%, compared with 23% at small businesses and 22% at large corporations.

That pattern runs against the wider European picture, where workers generally become more confident about job security as company size increases.

Employee perceptions of security also appear closely linked to wider workplace outcomes. Globally, workers who felt their jobs were secure were twice as likely to say they had no intention of leaving their employer.

They were also six times more likely to be fully engaged and 3.3 times more likely to report high productivity, the report found.

The findings come as employers assess how artificial intelligence, changing job design and demographic shifts are reshaping the workplace. While unemployment has remained relatively low in many markets, confidence in personal job security has not kept pace.

No market in the survey recorded a majority of workers who strongly agreed that their jobs were safe from elimination. The result suggests uncertainty is widespread rather than concentrated in a small group of countries or sectors.

Management challenge

For employers, the data highlights a management issue as well as a labour market one. Workers who do not feel secure in their roles may be less engaged, less productive and more likely to consider leaving, even when headline employment conditions appear stable.

The report draws on responses from working adults across a wide range of industries, educational backgrounds and working arrangements, including on-site and remote roles. It also includes workers in both management and individual contributor positions.

Jeff Phipps, Senior Vice-President and General Manager for ADP UK and Northern Europe, said the findings showed a gap between broader economic indicators and employee sentiment.

"The world of work is changing fast, and our findings reveal a gap between what the labour market is telling us and what employees are feeling. Employment is strong, but many UK workers are uncertain about what the future holds for their role. People want to know there's a place for them as their organisation evolves, and that they'll be supported to get there. The businesses that treat this seriously - investing in skills and being honest about change - are the ones seeing the payoff in how people perform and whether they stay," he said.

The survey underlines how concerns about job loss are not spread evenly across the workforce. Workers in more repetitive roles appear especially exposed to uncertainty, while those in knowledge-based jobs report significantly stronger confidence.

That gap may become more important as businesses review staffing needs and the impact of AI on routine tasks. For employers, the challenge is likely to be not only how work changes, but how clearly those changes are explained to staff.

Across the UK labour market, confidence remains fragile even among workers who are currently employed. With just 25% saying they strongly believe their role is safe from elimination, a large majority remain unsure or unconvinced about their longer-term prospects.