We have known for years that dress codes around the world have been loosening. Especially since the pandemic, employers have increasingly switched to a casual dress code. But how do the rules differ per country and industry? The recruitment agency Indeed conducted research on this.
Dress codes in Canada, the UK and Australia
For the study, Indeed examined job postings in each country and looked at how often the term “casual dress code” or similar wording appeared. In 2019, only up to 0.8% of Canadian job ads mentioned a casual dress code, but by 2025 that number had risen to 6%. It’s most common in childcare (19.4%), sports (15.2%) and the cleaning industry (10.9%).
In the UK, the smart casual style (which sits between casual and formal) is by far the most popular. Casual dress codes are mentioned in 3.3% of job postings, making them less common than in Canada. Northern Ireland scores the highest (4.7%) and London the lowest (2.3%). Casual dress codes appear most frequently in job ads for personal care and home care (9.2%), marketing (6.7%) and media and communications (7.1%).
In Australia, this trend is far less popular. In June 2025, only 0.41% of job ads mentioned a casual dress code. Interestingly, the industries that traditionally relied on suits are the ones showing the biggest shift. Insurance (11.6%), legal (3.6%) and accountancy (2.9%) top the list of sectors that have relaxed their clothing guidelines the most in recent years.
What do employers want to communicate?
Although these numbers give an impression of the trends in casual clothing, it’s important to note that the data is based solely on job postings. Those postings are written by employers who choose whether or not to publicly share their dress code. For comparison: a Gallup study shows that 31% of Americans wear casual clothing at work. That number is based on what employees themselves say. That’s a big difference compared to the figures from Canada, the UK and Australia.
The data mainly reflects how important it is for employers to mention a casual dress code, and which industries want to be associated with it. It’s striking, for example, that in Australia, the insurance sector, legal profession and accountancy emphasise their casual dress codes.
That doesn’t necessarily mean these industries dress casually more often than, say, retail or healthcare. It simply means that these sectors have long been seen as formal environments where professional attire, like suits, was expected. And it is precisely these shifts that make the research interesting. The numbers show which industries are consciously choosing a casual dress code, potentially to appeal to a new generation.
