The Chief of the Air Force highlighted the difficulty in recruitment presented by the UK labour market which had 1.3 million vacancies at the start of 2023.160 The First Sea Lord described the Armed Forces as being “in a battle for national talent” which required the Armed Forces to be “as attractive a place as it possibly can be for young people to come to and commit to.”161 The most recent figures (from October 2023) show the current state of the UK Armed Forces: 154 Ministry of Defence, Ag...

The Chief of the Air Force highlighted the difficulty in recruitment presented by the UK labour market which had 1.3 million vacancies at the start of 2023.160 The First Sea Lord described the Armed Forces as being “in a battle for national talent” which required the Armed Forces to be “as attractive a place as it possibly can be for young people to come to and commit to.”161 The most recent figures (from October 2023) show the current state of the UK Armed Forces: 154 Ministry of Defence, Agency and Agility: Incentivising people in a new era, A review of UK Armed Forces incentivisation by Rick Haythornthwaite, June 2023, p 2; 15 155 Oral evi Type: conclusion | Number: 76 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: As a Government, we recognise the responsibility to ensure our Armed Forces have the right people in the right place with the right skills, both now and in the future. This is never more pressing as we face global challenges not seen since the middle of the twent