Job postings in the UK have declined sharply, particularly in roles impacted by AI, according to an analysis by McKinsey & Co.

In the three months leading to May 2025, online job vacancies dropped by 31% compared to the same period in 2022. Positions affected by AI saw a decline of 38%.

The study indicates that jobs involving tasks likely to be modified by AI such as programming, management consulting, and graphic design, experienced declines of over 50% in the past three years.

McKinsey suggests that companies are reassessing workforce strategies in anticipation of productivity changes due to AI advancements.

Analysis by Indeed reveals that roles related to building or using AI tools, including data science and analytics, have faced declines.

Mathematics-related vacancies have fallen nearly 50% from pre-pandemic levels.

Conversely, job postings in sectors such as real estate and education, which have limited AI involvement, have increased during the same period.

Entry-level positions have also been impacted, with postings for apprenticeships and junior roles decreasing by nearly a third since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, according to job-search platform Adzuna.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ White-collar jobs face disproportionate AI disruption despite industry growth

The current UK trend mirrors broader international patterns where AI most heavily impacts knowledge workers rather than manual laborers.

Jobs requiring writing, programming, and graphic design are particularly vulnerable, with vacancies in these fields dropping by more than 50% over three years according to McKinsey 1.

This creates a paradoxical situation where sectors like professional services and information technology are simultaneously reporting healthy growth while significantly reducing hiring 1.

Mathematics-related roles, which include data science and analytics positions, have seen job postings decline almost 50% from pre-pandemic levels despite having the highest share of AI mentions in job descriptions 1.

This contrasts with sectors less exposed to AI, such as real estate and education, which have grown their workforce during the same period 1.