UK workforce declines sharply amid introduction of AI

AI’s entry into the UK workforce has led to job losses in certain sectors, revealing deeper signs of a slowing job market.

In the era of meager growth and high borrowing costs, job openings in the UK have sharply declined to reduce costs. According to Analysis from McKinsey & Co., online job postings have declined by 31% over the last three months leading up to May compared to the same time in 2022.

Meanwhile, the introduction of AI has greatly hit white collar jobs in technology and finance. According to the consulting firm, these jobs will likely change significantly due to AI decreasing by 38%,  almost double the drop of other jobs.

This trend in the workforce seems to be adding a further dead weight to the UK jobs market, even as tax rises trigger a wave of cuts in lower-skilled industries such as retail and hospitality, and the rate of economic growth slows.

The workforce in the UK declines sharply amid the introduction of AI

Surveys show that UK businesses are cutting back on hiring at the sharpest rate in nearly two years. This drop suggests that increased payroll taxes are still affecting the job market.

According to KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, in June alone, appointments for permanent positions in the UK recorded the highest decrease in more than 22 months, while the number of job seekers increased.

According to McKinsey’s analysis, jobs exposed to technology are estimated to be at great risk of AI taking over at least part of the work, resulting in a decrease in job openings. For example, the programmer, management consultant, and graphic designer workforce has dropped over 50% over the past three years.

Some analysts have concluded that this might also result from rising issues in specific industries and a challenging overall economy. However, McKinsey has highlighted that job openings declined in certain fields, such as expert services and IT, even as businesses registered strong growth rates.

Tera Allas, Director of Research and Economics in McKinsey’s United Kingdom and Ireland office, commented on the situation. She mentioned that the hope for future productivity improvements, even though not guaranteed, is causing companies to rethink their workforce plans and hold off on certain hiring activities as technology and its uses develop. 

In the meantime, besides McKinsey, job-search site Indeed has also carried out some research on the topic of discussion.  Their analysis has also revealed tentative signs that AI is mainly making hiring decisions. 

According to Pawel Adrjan, director of EMEA economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, employers are inclined to scale back hiring in hiring areas that pertain to creating or using AI tools.

Tech sector’s workforce struggles with AI as it tries to take up major spots

Some entry-level positions, such as summarizing meetings or reviewing documents, are particularly susceptible to being replaced by AI. This technology is accelerating the decline of these positions as companies try to save money by cutting staff.

Indeed figures indicated that job openings in data science and analytics, which offer various entry-level positions, make up the biggest portion of AI mentioned in job listings. However, they have faced a decline of approximately 50% since before the pandemic.

In addition, entry-level jobs such as apprenticeships, internships, and junior roles that do not require a degree have declined by nearly a third since ChatGPT was introduced at the end of 2022, said job-search site Adzuna.

James Neave, a Head of Data Science at Adzuna, said that the rapid rise of AI is yet another hurdle for fresh-faced job seekers. According to Neave, they are still suffering the impacts of COVID-19, with inflation, harsh economic circumstances, and depressed business confidence.

Contrastingly, as some parts of the workforce struggle with AI taking up major spots, real estate or education jobs, which place little emphasis on technology, have traditionally done little to emphasize technology, but have increased during that time.

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