More than a sixth of jobs require driving licence, according to RAC research

Jobs where more than a third of adverts required employees to drive included plumbers (67%), estate agents (59%) and care workers (34%)

A study has found that more than one in six jobs advertised require applicants to have a driving licence.

The RAC Foundation, who conducted the research, said it shows how important a driving licence can be for getting a job. They found that nearly 190,000 of the 1.1 million job vacancies posted on job website Adzuna in October last year required applicants to have a driving licence.

These jobs either needed the employee to drive as part of their work, or they needed a vehicle to get to work because there were no other transport options. Jobs where more than a third of adverts required employees to drive included plumbers (67%), estate agents (59%) and care workers (34%).

The cost of learning to drive is estimated at nearly £2,200, not including the cost of buying and running a car. The study also found that the number of jobs advertised that require applicants to be able to drive has increased from 15.2% in 2016 to 17.4% last year.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Our research shows that a driving licence can be a crucial qualification. Little wonder official figures show that about 45% of all driving tests conducted during 2022/23 involved candidates aged 20 or younger.”

He also noted that many job ads which list a driving requirement are in relatively low-paid sectors, such as the caring profession. “This is something the Chancellor should have in mind when making decisions that influence the cost of motoring and impact on those who are already struggling to pay for transport they can’t do without.”