Defence is one of the most active employers in the country today, and the momentum is clear. MOD expenditure with industry supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an increase of 11% on the previous financial year, according to the MOD's supported employment estimates for 2023/24. That builds on strong growth the year before, when the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, up 6% on the previous year, as reported in the MOD's 2022/23 estimates.
Fresh money is flowing in too. More than 1,700 new jobs are being created across the UK defence sector following at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024, according to GOV.UK's reporting on the defence dividend. When investment lands onshore, the supply chain roles that support it follow: machining, assembly, quality, procurement and logistics.
Recruitment appetite is rising to match. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022, according to GOV.UK's economic contribution update. So the question for most employers today isn't whether to hire. It's how to hire fast enough to keep programmes on schedule.
Onshoring changes the shape of a workforce, not just its size. When production moves back onto UK soil, demand concentrates in the hands-on and technical roles that keep a factory and its suppliers running. Expect pressure across a familiar cluster:
The scale behind that list is real. With MOD spending supporting 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an 11% rise year on year, as set out in the MOD's supported employment estimates, every new programme ripples down through tiers of suppliers. Many of those roles need security clearance, which lengthens time to productivity and makes early, accurate shortlisting matter even more.
Hiring well here is about getting the right person into a cleared, safety-critical role without losing weeks to a slow process. A few things make the difference.
First, write the role around the work, not a wish list. Separate the skills someone must have on day one from the ones they can build, and be honest about clearance requirements up front so no one's time is wasted. Second, move quickly once you find a strong match. In a sector where surveyed recruitment grew by 17.8% in 2022, as reported in GOV.UK's economic contribution update, the best people are talking to several employers at once.
Third, plan for the supply chain, not just the headline programme. Onshoring creates demand across tiers of suppliers at the same time, so build a pipeline for recurring roles like machinists, quality engineers and buyers rather than hiring one vacancy at a time. Finally, keep communication warm through clearance and onboarding, because a long wait is where good hires slip away.
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