2025 State of the UK Hourly Workforce
A Lifeline for UK Retail and Restaurant Productivity and Retention
New Research Reveals the Urgent Need for Workforce Transformation in Retail & Hospitality
Business confidence in the UK’s retail sector has plummeted, with rising taxes and economic uncertainty placing immense pressure on employers. Recent policy changes, including a reduced National Insurance Contribution (NIC) threshold and increasing minimum wage costs, are forcing those in the retail and hospitality sectors to cut jobs and limit hiring. At the same time, managers are saddled with burdensome repetitive tasks that hamper efficiency and employee engagement.
2025: State of the UK Hourly Workforce Report Key Findings
To better understand the challenges in the UK labour market and provide actionable strategies for addressing the top issues, Legion commissioned the 2025 State of the UK Hourly Workforce Report, which surveyed more than 500 hourly workers and 500 managers in the Retail and Hospitality industries.
What Employees Want
More than 63% of hourly workers plan to quit in the next year and 68% plan to leave their current industry.
63%
plan to quit in the next year
72%
say schedule flexibility is the top factor influencing job decisions
30%
say instant access to earned wages is a key factor in retention
What Managers Need
Managers are burdened with routine administrative tasks which hurts productivity.
65%
spend between 3-10+ hours/week on scheduling
65%
believe AI could make scheduling easier
#1
task managers wish to be intelligently automated is scheduling
What Retailers and Hospitality Providers Can Do
In response to the economic challenges, many are considering raising prices or cutting staff. However raising prices risks alienating inflation-weary consumers, and cutting frontline staff threatens service quality and sales. Retail executives need an alternative strategy to protect margins without slashing headcount or pushing prices higher. This is where advanced workforce management technology can offer a lifeline. Download the 2025 Report and learn how to:
- Leverage AI to increase boost efficiency and productivity to do more with existing teams
- Improve retention rates by providing frontline employees with what they care about most: schedule flexibility and pay
- Improve manager productivity by automating repetitive task
Download Now
Customers Love Legion
Press Release
UK Retailers and Restaurants Turn to AI as £5 Billion Wage Rise Looms
UK retailers and hospitality businesses face rising wage and tax costs, but AI-driven workforce management offers a smarter solution. Legion Technologies’ 2025 State of the UK Hourly Workforce report reveals how AI can boost productivity, streamline scheduling, and improve employee engagement—helping businesses reduce costs without cutting staff or raising prices.
Press Coverage
Facing rising wages and taxes, 65% of UK retail and hospitality managers see AI as key to boosting productivity — but only 19% have adopted it. New research from Legion Technologies shows AI can cut hours of admin and improve staff retention without raising prices or cutting headcount.
With rising wage and tax costs, UK retail and hospitality leaders are turning to AI to boost productivity without cutting staff or raising prices, per Legion Technologies’ latest report. Though 65% see the need to automate, only 19% use AI tools today. Smarter scheduling can save managers hours each week and improve retention—especially as 72% of workers say schedule flexibility is key.
With wage and tax increases set to add £5 billion to labour costs, two-thirds of UK retailers see AI as key to boosting productivity. Yet only 19% currently use AI-driven scheduling, leaving major efficiency gains on the table. Legion’s 2025 State of the UK Hourly Workforce Report highlights how modern workforce automation can cut admin time, improve flexibility, and help retain staff—without raising prices or cutting headcount.
Ready for a Demo?
See how Legion's WFM Software enables intelligent automation to help you maximize labor efficiency and employee engagement simultaneously.