Data shows young people are five times more likely to be affected
26 February 2026
The number of UK workers on zero-hours contracts has hit a record high, according to new analysis from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, ahead of the government’s planned crackdown next year.
A total of 1.23 million people are now on zero-hours contracts, up 91,000 in the past year, Work Foundation analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics found. The increase was revealed to be largely driven by 16 to 24 year olds, who were five times more likely to be on zero-hours contracts.
The figures come as the government prepares to implement reforms under the Employment Rights Act, planned to take effect in 2027, which are aimed at banning what ministers have described as the ‘exploitative’ one-sided flexibility in zero-hours contracts.
How should employers navigate the new zero-hours contracts rules?
The Work Foundation at Lancaster University analysis found that 77 per cent of those on zero-hours contracts (943,000 workers) were not in full-time education – challenging the common argument that such arrangements primarily supported students seeking flexible work.
Meanwhile, one in three (a record 32.8 per cent) depended on zero-hours contracts for their main full-time income, despite having no guarantee of hours or earnings.
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