London After Dark: The Reality of Working at Night in the Capital

The night time economy is an important part of London’s economy, culture and labour market. Nearly 1.4 million people usually work in the evening or at night in London – one in four workers.  

In this report we analyse ONS data on the scale of night work in London and the prevalence of low pay and job insecurity among those working at night. We present new polling of 2,000+ people who work at night in London to understand their experiences.  

Our research finds that the people working at night in the UK’s capital are more likely than those who work during the day to be in a job paid less than the real Living Wage or to be in an insecure job. Many people who work at night told us that they lack certainty and control about when they will work, with most saying they often have to work at short notice. This is on top of other challenges that working at night causes, not least difficulty getting enough sleep. 

The work that people do at night is essential to keeping London’s economy going and its culture thriving. Our findings underscore the need for those who work at night to be fairly compensated, provided decent notice of their shifts and given a contract that reflects the hours they work. 

Key findings 

• One in four people (26 per cent) who worked in London in 2024 usually worked in the evening or at night, about the same as across the UK (25 per cent).   
• People who work at night are more likely than those who work in the day to experience low pay (17 per cent vs 12 per cent) and insecure work (18 per cent vs 9 per cent).  
• Nearly everyone working nights (89 per cent) told us they experience variable hours or shift work. The vast majority (69 per cent) of those with variable working hours told us that they sometimes received less than a week’s notice of their hours or shifts.  
• Four in ten workers (40 per cent) had had their shifts unexpectedly cancelled in the past 12 months. Most of them (60 per cent) received less than half their regular pay. 
• Many people who work at night lack certainty and control about when they will work. Most (57 per cent) agreed that they often have to work on short notice, while half (49 per cent) said that they have little say over when they do or do not work at night.  
• Nearly one in five workers (18 per cent) who are paid less than the London Living Wage say they’re dissatisfied with working at night, twice as high as those paid at it (10 per cent) or above it (9 per cent).  
• We asked workers what would improve the experience of working at night. Among those who had said they are dissatisfied with working at night, the option chosen by the most people was higher hourly pay (55 per cent of respondents).