Market Update: Key Facts & Figures
The UK employment market continues to present a mixed picture in 2025. While employer confidence has shown signs of improvement, businesses remain cautious about hiring and investment.
At the same time, growth across sectors including home improvement and renewable energy is creating opportunities for businesses and sales professionals.
Employment Market Snapshot
The latest REC JobsOutlook showed a modest improvement in employer sentiment.
Confidence in the performance of the UK economy increased by two points to net -23, while confidence in making hiring and investment decisions improved by one point to net -4.
Both measures remained negative, showing that businesses were still approaching hiring with caution. However, employers became more optimistic about medium-term permanent hiring as the quarter progressed.
For businesses, this means recruitment decisions need to be increasingly considered. Finding the right people isn’t simply about increasing headcount. It’s about identifying candidates with the skills and potential to contribute to long-term growth.
Technology is also changing how businesses approach these decisions. As AI and hiring algorithms become more common, employers need to balance efficiency with the human judgement required to recognise the right candidate.
Home Improvement Market Shows Signs of Growth
While the wider employment market remains cautious, the UK home improvement sector is showing opportunities for growth.
Research from Häfele UK found that a third of UK homeowners were prioritising improving their existing homes rather than moving, creating potential demand across kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and other home improvement services.
Among homeowners planning improvements:
- 29% planned to update their interior decorating.
- 23% wanted a new kitchen.
- 21% planned bathroom renovations.
- 21% planned to update their flooring.
- 16% wanted improvements that could increase their property’s value.
For businesses operating in home improvement, this demand can also create a greater need for skilled salespeople who can turn consumer interest into revenue.
The market has continued to develop since these figures were published. Our latest analysis of the UK home improvement market and field sales recruitment explores what this means for businesses building sales teams in the sector.
Renewable Energy Continues to Create Opportunities
The UK’s energy landscape continues to transform as renewable electricity generation reaches new highs.
According to RenewableUK, renewables generated a record 52.5% of the UK’s electricity in 2025, marking the second consecutive year that renewable generation exceeded 50%. Wind and solar both reached record levels, reflecting the continued expansion of renewable capacity across the country.
- 52.5% of UK electricity was generated by renewables in 2025
- Wind accounted for a record 30% of UK electricity generation
- Solar reached a record 6.9%
- Renewable electricity generation increased from 50.4% in 2024 to 52.5% in 2025
As the energy market evolves, it creates opportunities for businesses and the sales professionals needed to communicate increasingly complex products and services to customers. We’ve already seen how developments across energy and home improvement are creating opportunities for sales professionals, particularly as consumer demand for energy-efficient products and home upgrades grows.
Cybersecurity Skills Remain in Demand
As businesses become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, cybersecurity continues to be an important area for investment and recruitment.
Financial services and telecommunications are among the sectors facing growing pressure to strengthen cyber resilience, while the need to protect data, systems and critical infrastructure is increasing demand for people with specialist technology and cybersecurity skills.
For employers, that adds another layer to an already competitive skills market. Businesses don’t only need the right technology. They need people with the expertise to implement, manage and protect it effectively.
- Financial services continue to strengthen cyber-resilience measures
- Protecting telecommunications and critical infrastructure remains a priority
- Cybersecurity skills continue to be important as organisations respond to evolving threats
What Does This Mean for the UK Sales Market?
The wider employment picture may be cautious, but that doesn’t mean opportunities have disappeared.
Instead, we’re seeing a more varied market. Some businesses are reconsidering hiring plans, while growth and changing consumer demand are creating opportunities in specific sectors.
For employers, that makes finding the right salesperson increasingly important. Businesses need people who understand their customers, communicate value effectively and can adapt as markets change.
For sales professionals, looking beyond headline employment figures can reveal industries where demand and earning opportunities are developing.
Thoughts From the Top: Leena’s Views
The UK employment landscape is constantly evolving, presenting both challenges and exciting opportunities. While employer confidence remains cautious, there are still sectors where businesses are growing and looking for the right people.
At Citrus Connect, we’re closely monitoring these trends so we can connect talented sales professionals with businesses where their skills can make a real difference.
I’m particularly interested in what’s happening across the home improvement and energy sectors. Changing consumer priorities, investment in homes and the continued transition towards renewable energy all create opportunities for businesses, but capitalising on that demand requires the right people.
For candidates, that can mean exciting new career and earning opportunities. For employers, it means thinking carefully about the skills, experience and qualities their sales teams need to convert growing consumer interest into sustainable business growth.
The general hiring outlook may remain cautious, but individual sectors can tell a very different story. That’s why understanding what’s happening within your own market is so important.
Whether you’re looking for your next sales opportunity or need the right people to support your company’s growth, speak to the Citrus Connect team about how we can support your next move.
