AI & Data Focus UK - Tech Labour Market Trends

Vacancysoft’s latest UK labour market data provides a clear lens on AI adoption.

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Looking beyond the headlines, it highlights where hiring demand is actually growing, how organisations are investing, and what that signals for the market.

Growth is real. And it’s accelerating.

Let’s start with the obvious. Demand for AI and data roles is rising quickly:

• 2025 vacancies were 18.4% higher than 2024
• 2026 is already tracking at +13.2% year-on-year
• Overall demand is up 34% since 2024

By the end of this year, one in four roles in the sector will have been created in just the past two years. That kind of expansion doesn’t happen by accident. It signals a structural shift in how organisations operate and where they see future value.

For recruitment businesses, this is not just market context.It’s pipeline, demand, and positioning all changing at once.

But the most interesting finding in the report is not the growth itself. It’s where that growth is happening. Despite all the attention on AI, the largest hiring volumes are in Data Analysis (22.9%) and Data Engineering (18.3%). Machine learning and AI roles are growing fast, but they are not the foundation. Organisations are building the infrastructure first.

Which raises a useful question for recruitment firms:
Are your clients asking for AI talent, or are they asking for the foundations that enable it?

Because the answer changes how you source, how you advise,and how you position yourself.

The report suggests that demand is unlikely to plateau anytime soon. As long as organisations see value in AI, they will continue investing in data capability.

For agencies, that creates an opportunity, but also a challenge. Understanding where your clients sit in that "Adoption→Operation" cycle becomes critical. Hiring becomes more targeted and investment becomes more consistent.

For agencies, that typically means more urgency, more competition, and higher expectations from clients.

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What’s the pace of change in your market?

Professional Services has seen particularly sharp growth, up over 80% since 2024.

These firms are building capability quickly, often from a low base, to meet both client demand and internal efficiency pressures.

Financial Services, by contrast, shows steadier growth,reflecting both maturity and regulatory complexity.

This variation matters. It shapes where demand is coming from, how quickly it’s evolving, and where the biggest opportunities sit. London continues to dominate, increasing its share of roles as large enterprises concentrate investment. But regional growth is strong, particularly in northern tech clusters, while Scotland has seen standout expansion. For agencies operating across multiple regions, this creates a more complex landscape.

Demand is no longer concentrated in one place, but it is not evenly distributed either.

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Enterprise is leading the charge

Large organisations continue to drive hiring volumes. Banks, consultancies, and global enterprises are investing heavily, building internal platforms and scaling AI capability. And historically, where enterprise goes, the rest of the market follows.

What recruitment businesses should be thinking about

This data raises a few important questions.

• How is AI changing the types of roles your clients are hiring for?
• Are you seeing more demand for data infrastructure than AI itself?
• Which sectors in your market are moving fastest, and which are lagging?
• Are your consultants equipped to understand and advise on these shifts?

Because this is a change in how businesses operate, and therefore how they hire. Recruiters need to look beyond the narrative of whatAI tools can do, and instead look at what organisations are doing.

How well do you really understand how AI is reshaping your market?

If you want a deeper view of the trends, sectors, regions,and companies driving this shift, the full report is well worth exploring – click here.

Written by DanielFox.

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