England’s hair salons face recruitment crisis as gen Z shuns profession

Last year, 1,520 students in England completed their training, down from 8,660 in 2015, according to DfE figures. Photograph: monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Covid lockdowns that forced hairdressers to close for months taught us to truly appreciate having our hair cut by a professional, but salons are warning of staff shortages as gen Z shuns a career in the profession.

The number of trainees enrolling in hairdressing apprenticeships has declined by 70% over the last decade. This, combined with a wave of high street salon closures, means people in the UK could face a longer wait for an appointment in the years to come.