AI and compliance hiring drives 12% rise in UK finance vacancies in 2025

Britain’s financial services sector saw vacancies climb 12% year‑on‑year in 2025 as banks and markets firms accelerated hiring for AI, data and regulatory roles, according to Morgan McKinley’s London Employment Monitor released Jan. 12, 2026. The recruiter’s quarterly survey credited technology‑led recruitment with the annual rise even as overall hiring cooled in the fourth quarter amid global market volatility and uncertainty around the UK government’s November budget.

Morgan McKinley’s full‑year Britain figure sits alongside related data showing a concentrated rise in London. Vacancysoft reported a 10% year‑on‑year increase in London finance vacancies in the first half of 2025, while Morgan McKinley’s own Q3 reading showed a 9% rise in London for that quarter, underlining how timing and geography affect headline rates.

The composition of vacancies shifted markedly toward technology and operations. Morgan McKinley data indicate software and computer services made up more than 16% of financial‑services vacancies in 2025, slightly ahead of investment management and banking at about 15% each. Vacancysoft and Morgan McKinley flagged fintech, AI, data and cybersecurity among the fastest‑growing hiring categories as firms race to commercialise AI‑driven products and strengthen data analytics and algorithmic compliance platforms.

Specific role moves were pronounced. In the first half of 2025 Vacancysoft and Morgan McKinley recorded double‑digit gains in technology and operations hiring: IT roles in accounting and consulting rose 39% year‑on‑year, banking operations hiring climbed 38%, IT recruitment in banking increased 16%, and executive‑level hiring in banking was up 11%. At the same time Morgan McKinley data show declines in roles most exposed to automation, with clerical and administrative openings down 16% and broking roles down 20% year‑on‑year.

Hiring by employer was uneven. Vacancysoft and Morgan McKinley data for the first half of 2025 showed Barclays expanding roles by about 55%, JPMorgan by 22%, Deutsche Bank by 44% and MasterCard by 35%, while HSBC reduced roles by roughly 49% as it scaled back parts of its investment banking operations and global costs.

“The UK financial services sector is evolving fast, with hiring trends shaped by rapid tech adoption, regulatory change and shifting workforce expectations. Roles in fintech, data, AI and cybersecurity are now central to operations, while regulation is driving demand in risk and audit functions,” said David Neal, managing director at Morgan McKinley.

Recruiters report a persistent talent shortage for candidates who combine finance domain knowledge with advanced technical skills such as machine learning, data engineering and regulatory technology. Specialist recruiters including Lupahire, Storm2 and Redfish Technology advise firms to sharpen employer branding, offer competitive packages and partner with niche agencies to access scarce global talent pools.

Outlook is mixed. Firms remain committed to tech and compliance hiring even as the market pauses in response to macroeconomic volatility and fiscal uncertainty. That combination suggests demand for high‑end AI and data specialists will stay strong, while roles vulnerable to automation continue to contract.