Skills warning as UK vacancies fall

Young People in Print and Packaging has warned that a decline in UK job vacancies could worsen the print and packaging sector's long-term skills shortage, following the release of an ONS labor market overview in June 2026 showing vacancies at their lowest level since 2021.

The organization said the data masks deeper structural problems for the industry, with manufacturing businesses and SMEs recording the sharpest falls in vacancy numbers. It warned that reduced hiring activity risks accelerating skills gaps in a sector already facing an aging workforce pipeline.

The ONS report follows the UK government's Young People and Work Review, which found that around one million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education or training.

'This report should be a warning shot for the industry,' said Jo Stephenson, board member of Young People in Print and Packaging. 'We are shutting the door on the next generation of talent at the exact moment when we should be welcoming them through it. Our industry depends on highly specialized knowledge that builds up over the years. Too much short-term caution risks creating long-term gaps in skills and innovation.'

Stephenson argued the sector is well positioned to attract young talent given its involvement in automation, AI, robotics, materials science, sustainability and data-led production, but said the industry needs to communicate that story more actively to schools, colleges and universities.