'Two-track labour market' | AI hiring & wages surge as demand outpace jobs market

Demand for AI skills in the UK has surged strongly, with job postings for specialist AI roles rising by 61% from last year and returning to levels last seen in 2022, new research shows.

The analysis from PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer, based on more than one billion job adverts globally, shows that UK-based AI hiring has recovered following declines in 2023 and 2024, signalling renewed momentum in demand for AI capabilities across the economy.  

Specialist AI jobs now account for 2.2% of the overall job market, up from 1.3% last year.  Overall vacancies across the economy have fallen 6.6% compared to last year.  

The rebound in AI hiring is being driven by so-called AI user roles - specialists who apply AI effectively within a field of expertise – rather than AI developer roles.  User roles increased by 65.8 % (just under 66,000 in 2025) and now account for the majority of AI-related job demand. In contrast, developer roles grew by 21.6 % (2,600 roles).