Nuclear Industry Association says jobs have increased by 67% in past five years
Jobs in the UK nuclear industry rose above 100,000 for first time in 2026, boosted by construction of the Sizewell C plant, and are expected to grow further as the country expands its capacity, the annual jobs map from the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) shows.
According to the London-based NIA, jobs grew by 67% over the past five years from 61,371 in 2021 to 102,606 in 2026. Of that total, 86% of jobs are outside of London and the southeast.
Since 2025, 4,433 jobs were created, which the NIA said was led by a 62.6% increase over the past year at jobs at Sizewell C, which will have two EPR pressurised water reactor units.
The NIA said that a further 1,500 apprentice roles would be created during Sizewell C’s construction.
It pointed to jobs growth at Hinkley Point C over the past year. Hinkley Point C, also a two-unit EPR facility, is under construction in Somerset, southwest England.
“The nuclear sector continues to be a critical engine of growth and investment outside of London and the South-East,” said NIA chief executive Tom Greatex.
“Nuclear’s unique footprint creates tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs in every part of this country, especially in coastal communities that need them most.”
The NIA also said that jobs growth would continue in coming years, with an expected 8,000 jobs created through the planned construction of three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Gwyndod site, formerly known as Wylfa, in north Wales. It added that 3,000 of those jobs would be local to the site.
Greatex urged the government to continue to invest in nuclear to expand the industry and job growth.
“It is now critical that the UK government implements reforms of nuclear regulation in full to unlock further growth and job creation while cutting the cost and schedule of new nuclear projects,” he said. “Achieving this is essential for our energy security.”
Since 2000, the UK has seen permanent reactor shutdowns at Hinkley Point A, Bradwell, Calder Hall, Hunterston, Oldbury, Sizewell, Chapelcross, Dungeness and Wylfa, leaving nine units in commercial operation and only Hinkley Point C’s two EPRs under construction and plans confirmed for the further two EPRs at Sizewell C.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UK’s nine commercial nuclear plants produce around 11% of the country’s electricity.
The government wants to quadruple nuclear capacity to 24 GW by 2050, also by deploying SMRs.
