Zero Hours Contracts in the UK
Who uses zero hours contracts, which sectors rely on them most, and what the Employment Rights Act 2025 means for employers from Autumn 2026 onwards.
1.23m
Workers on zero hours contracts
3.6%
Of total UK workforce
32.2%
Hospitality sector share
+37%
Growth since 2019
Key findings
Highest sector exposure
Accommodation and food services
32.2% of sector workers on zero hours contracts.
Under-25s over-represented
37% of zero hours workers
12.5% of all 16-24 year olds are on zero hours contracts (5.1x more likely than other age groups)
Law changes in Autumn 2026
Right to guaranteed hours
Workers with consistent hours can request a guaranteed hours contract after a 12-week reference period.
Zero hours share by sector
Percentage of each sector's workforce on zero hours contracts. Colour indicates severity.
Trend over time
Total zero hours workers in the UK, 2019 to 2025
Sector breakdown
All sectors ranked by share of zero hours workers
| Sector | % of sector | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 32.2% | ONS 2024, verified |
| Health and social care | 16.1% | ONS 2024, verified |
| Entertainment and recreation | 14.6% | ONS EMP17 estimate |
| Agriculture and farming | 9.4% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Cleaning and facilities | 6.2% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Retail | 4.9% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Education | 4.1% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Transport and logistics | 3.8% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Construction | 2.1% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Professional services | 0.6% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
| Manufacturing | 0.4% | ONS EMP17 estimate, unverified from public summaries |
What's changing: Employment Rights Act 2025
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a right to guaranteed hours for zero hours and low-hours contract workers. The changes come into force in Autumn 2026, subject to secondary legislation.
The reference period rule
Workers who have worked a regular pattern over a 12-week reference period can request a guaranteed hours contract reflecting that pattern. Employers cannot unreasonably refuse.
Short-notice cancellation pay
Compensation applies: Yes - if cancelled with insufficient notice. If an employer cancels a shift at short notice after the worker has arrived or is on the way, the worker will be entitled to compensation. The notice threshold is to be set by regulation.
Reasonable notice obligations
Reasonable notice before requiring to work The definition of "reasonable" will be set in secondary legislation, but businesses should expect it to cover at least 48-72 hours.
Who this affects
The rules apply to workers on zero hours and low-hours contracts. Agency workers are covered by separate provisions. Casual workers with genuinely no regular pattern may still be outside the scope.
Read the full zero hours guide
A plain English guide to zero hours contracts: what they are, what the law says, and what you need to do before Autumn 2026.
Methodology and sources
ONS EMP17 dataset (February 2026 release); Work Foundation analysis of ONS data, March 2026. Last updated April 2026. Last updated: 2026-04-10.
Sources: ONS Zero Hours Contracts Statistics | CIPD Zero Hours Contracts Report