Job cuts | 1 in 3 employers likely to make redundancies by January 2027

A third of employers (33%) are likely to make staff redundancies by the start of next year, a new survey has found.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about their redundancy plans between February 2026 and January 2027. The poll revealed that 46% of large businesses are likely to make redundancies and one in five (21%) small and medium-sized (SME) businesses said that were likely to do so over the same period.

The government has recently consulted on new law changes outlined in the Employment Rights Act 2025 for employers that want to make collective redundancies across their organisation. Acas has published its response to the consultation.

Acas warns of redundancy red tape

Acas Director of Dispute Resolution, Kevin Rowan, said: "The results of our poll reveal that a third of businesses are considering redundancies by the start of next year.