For the first time in the UK civil nuclear industry's history, more than 100,000 people are employed across the sector, according to the Nuclear Industry Association’s annual Jobs Map. The industry has grown by 67% over the past five years, from 61,371 jobs in 2021 to 102,606 in 2026, with a 4,433 increase since 2025.
This surge in high-skilled, high-paid jobs has been driven primarily by construction at Hinkley Point C and decisive government investment in upcoming nuclear projects. The Government has a 45% equity stake in Sizewell C, which has seen a 62.6% increase in jobs over the past year, and 1,500 apprentices will be created during construction.
Project Gwyndod, Great British Energy-Nuclear’s development of Rolls-Royce SMRs’ Europe’s first, on Ynys Môn is set to create a further 8,000 jobs across the UK, including 3,000 locally.
The nuclear industry retains a strong presence across the country. The operating stations support around 5,000 jobs and provide critical baseload power for the UK’s grid.
The UK hosts a world-leading hub for nuclear fusion in Oxfordshire, where nearly 3,000 people are employed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). The government has backed a fusion demonstrator at the old West Burton coal-fired station in Nottinghamshire and committed £2.5 billion to UK Fusion Energy and UKAEA over the next five years.
Decommissioning supports thousands of jobs across England, Scotland, and Wales, which bring critical skills and investment to local communities.
Nuclear Institute President Professor Adrian Bull MBE HonFNucI commented:
"We see a lot of numbers in our lives, and it's easy to get a bit blasé about seeing a new one. But when the civil nuclear workforce breaks into six figures, for the first time ever, that's a sure sign that things are really happening. It's a tremendous indication of the robust health, and the exciting future, of our nuclear energy industry.
All the more reason why those 100,000 individuals should be looking hard at how they will develop their careers over the coming months and years to make the very best of the opportunities which lie ahead of them. I look forward to welcoming many of them into the Nuclear Institute - the only professional membership body dedicated to the nuclear sector - to help them with exactly that."
The 2026 Jobs Map is made up of participating Nuclear Industry Association members and can be accessed here