Millions of workers are now looking to Britain’s skilled trades as a potential escape route from the AI jobs crunch, as new research from Fix Radio, the UK’s fastest growing national radio station for tradespeople reaching nearly a million weekly listeners, reveals the scale of public anxiety over automation, career security and the future of work.
The new Corporate To Carpentry 2026 study finds 4.5 million people would consider moving into construction and the trades because they believe the sector is less exposed to AI job losses. AI-linked restructuring rips through major employers, with British American Tobacco announcing plans to cut 9,000 jobs globally as part of a transformation programme involving advanced AI solutions and so workers everywhere are rejudging how they evaluate career risk.
A shocking 3.9 million people say they have already lost or expect to lose a job because of AI, with younger workers appearing most exposed to the new uncertainty. Nearly three in ten 18 to 24-year-olds, 29%, say AI has already affected their job or could soon do so, alongside one in five 25 to 34-year-olds. Roles that once appeared safe, and upwardly mobile are being redrawn by automation, while practical trades are gaining a new status as careers built around human judgement, physical presence and skills that cannot simply be replaced by software.
One in six workers, 16%, now say they would move into construction and the trades because they believe the sector is less exposed to AI taking their job. Among younger workers, the figure rises sharply, with 25% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 24% of 25 to 34-year-olds saying they would consider moving into the trades because of AI job risk.
Interestingly in the North East, a third of workers, 33%, say they would consider moving into construction and the trades because of AI job fears, while the figure reaches 26% in the West Midlands. The finding cuts directly into the political argument Andy Burnham has been making around regional skills, and the opportunities to help young people find clearer routes into good work.
Louis Timpany, founder and CEO of Fix Radio, highlights a consequent issue: “AI is changing the way people think about job security, and construction has a clear role to play because the trades are built on practical skill, judgement and experience that cannot easily be automated. But getting more people interested in the trades is only the first step. The skills deficit is one of the biggest challenges facing construction, and solving it means helping people transition into the workforce properly. A good apprenticeship is not just a qualification. It is a working relationship.”
For more information visit fixradio.co.uk
