Insights

The continued growth in AI-related hiring should be a clear signal to employers and policymakers. The UK has a strong opportunity to build its position as a global technology leader, but this will depend on continued investment in skills, workforce development and effective talent attraction.

Recruiters will play an important role in helping businesses access the specialist expertise needed to adopt and scale emerging technologies.Progress on salary transparency is also encouraging, although further improvement is still needed. Greater openness around pay remains one of the most effective ways to attract talent in a highly competitive market.

While overall vacancy growth remains modest, the data shows a clear change in employer priorities. Demand for AI skills is rising quickly, while businesses continue to favour permanent hiring over more flexible workforce models.

Permanent roles accounted for 88% of all technology vacancies in Q2, increasing by 4.9% year-on-year. Contract and temporary hiring remained broadly flat annually and fell by 6.1% compared with the previous quarter.

AI-related vacancies were the strongest area of growth, rising by 23.7% quarter-on-quarter and 41.8% year-on-year. AI roles now represent 4.6% of all technology vacancies, compared with 3.4% a year earlier. Demand for Artificial Intelligence Engineers increased by 74.4%, with average salaries of £78,821, the highest among the leading technology roles analysed.