New figures indicate a significant increase in defence-supported jobs within the UK's weapons and ammunition manufacturing sector, with a 51% rise in the 2024/25 financial year. This growth is part of a broader expansion, seeing an overall year-on-year increase of 26,000 UK industry roles supported by defence expenditure.
The Ministry of Defence's employment estimates show job boosts across the country. The North West experienced nearly 4,000 additional direct jobs, while the South East benefited from more than 3,000 extra roles over the same period. The total number of roles across the Armed Forces, industry, and Civil Service within UK defence now stands at 462,000.
This increase, including 2,000 additional jobs in the manufacture of weapons, ammunition, and military fighting vehicles, reflects the government's aim to rebuild a domestic munitions manufacturing capability. Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP stated that a rising defence budget is creating more jobs across the UK and driving reindustrialisation.