AI ‘dampening’ hiring among UK firms, report finds

“Some of the biggest declines were in jobs that have been predicted to have the highest impacts from generative AI,” it said. “These include software developers and other IT workers, as well as professionals in data, design, media, research, legal, HR, finance, and business.”

AI’s impact so far

The AI-influenced slowdown in hiring comes as the report noted that broad-based productivity improvements “remain elusive.”

According to the report, among the 92% of global businesses ramping up generative AI investment, only one per cent believe their efforts have reached maturity.

Only around 20% have also reported a tangible impact on enterprise-level earnings.

“This paradox – widespread usage but unrealized gains – reflects a gap between surface-level adoption and deep transformation,” the analysis read.