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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Welbert Bauyaban

UK Employment Forecast 2026: 163,000 Jobs Threatened as Iran Conflict Disrupts Supply Chains

A new forecast warns the Iran conflict could cost the UK 163,000 jobs in 2026, with low‑income industrial regions bearing the brunt of higher costs and weaker spending. (Credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, OGL 3 , via Wikimedia Commons)

UK employment is forecast to shrink by 163,000 jobs in 2026 as the Iran conflict ripples through global supply chains, with South Wales and the Humber among the areas expected to suffer the sharpest losses, according to new analysis by the EY Item Club.

The warning comes as the economic shock from the war in the Middle East feeds into higher energy prices, shipping disruption and rising costs of key materials.

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