Hiring local people isn’t just a moral choice, it’s a practical one. Whether you’re a small business, a public sector employer, or a large organisation with a regional footprint, recruiting locally has clear, measurable benefits for a workforce, a company’s profit and the community around you.
In an age of growing inequality, underemployment, and economic uncertainty, employers have the power to be part of the solution. Choosing to invest in local workers builds resilience, strengthens loyalty, and supports a fairer economy.
For Workers: Stability, Skills, and Quality of Life
When jobs are close to home, workers benefit. Shorter commutes save time and money and reduce the daily stress that long travel times bring. That improves mental wellbeing and work-life balance both vital for job satisfaction and long-term retention.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in 2009, employees with shorter commutes are more likely to stay in their roles. That means local hiring helps build a more stable, experienced, and loyal workforce. As workers stay longer, they develop deeper skills and a better understanding of the business, benefits that cannot be bought.
For Employers: Flexibility, Trust, and Better Business
Local workers are more likely to be available at short notice to cover urgent shifts, respond to seasonal surges, or adapt quickly to changing business needs. This agility is especially valuable in sectors like retail, hospitality, health and social care, and logistics.
Hiring from the local community also strengthens customer connections. Staff who reflect the diversity and character of the area can provide more personalised service and local insight. These advantages that can set businesses apart from faceless national competitors.
Companies that hire locally are seen as rooted in the area, not just profiting from it.
That can boost brand reputation and customer loyalty. In fact, a Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) survey in 2022 showed that customers are more likely to trust and support businesses that invest in their local workforce.
For Communities: Jobs, Justice, and Local Growth
The benefits of local hiring ripple outwards. When people earn wages locally, they spend them locally, supporting shops, services, and other small enterprises. This “economic multiplier effect” is well-documented.
Research from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) found that £1 spent with a local business generates up to 2.5 times more wealth for the local area than money spent with a non-local equivalent.
Local recruitment also helps tackle social exclusion. People who face barriers to employment, whether due to transport, childcare, or discrimination are more likely to access and keep jobs near where they live. This is particularly important in rural, post-industrial, and economically deprived areas where investment in people can be the foundation for long-term recovery.
A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in January 2025 highlighted how local job creation improves income security and social mobility, particularly when combined with training and progression opportunities.
Skills and Long-Term Resilience
Local hiring uncovers hidden talent. Many communities have untapped potential, people who could thrive with the right opportunity and support. By offering apprenticeships, training schemes, and career development pathways to local recruits, employers can build a pipeline of skilled staff who know the business inside out.
This approach also reduces reliance on expensive, short-term solutions like agency workers or overseas recruitment. In the long term, investing in local people builds a more self-sustaining and resilient workforce.
The Workers of England Union’s Call to Action
The WEU supports local hiring under its campaign ‘local Jobs for Local people’.
This is because the WEU believes that the workers within England would benefit as it creates fairer workplaces, stronger communities, and better jobs. It helps shift power away from faceless international companies, towards a more secure, skilled, and equitable labour market.
We believe employers should be encouraged and where appropriate, required to prioritise local recruitment. That includes working with councils, community groups, and training providers to create clear, fair routes into employment for local people.
Hiring local isn’t charity, it’s common sense. It’s how we build strong teams, successful businesses, and communities that thrive together.
Stephen Morris
General Secretary
Workers of England Union