{
  "id": 60926,
  "title": "AI is creating a two-speed jobs market in the UK, Indeed says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/ai-is-creating-a-two-speed-jobs-market-in-the-uk-indeed-says",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-02T20:58:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/08/02/ai-two-speed-job-market-uk-software-manufacturing-experience-entry-level/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UK employers are increasingly forming a two-speed labor market with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), according to fresh figures shared with Bloomberg by job search platform Indeed. The technology is ushering in a dual-track job environment, with a noticeable decline in vacancies alongside a surge in demand for certain roles. Despite the UK job market posting about 10% fewer vacancies this month than in January 2025, the drop masks significant disparities within the sector.\n\nSoftware developers, whose roles have undergone a significant transformation with AI, are seeing a 14% rise in job postings, particularly senior positions linked to AI. Occupations such as IT and engineering, where AI automates routine tasks, have also remained relatively stable. However, other sectors like retail, manufacturing, white-collar jobs such as accounting and marketing, which are more susceptible to replacement by AI, have witnessed double-digit declines in vacancies.\n\nIndeed's senior economist, Jack Kennedy, notes that the UK labor market is splitting into two distinct tracks, with demand concentrating around experienced workers and roles directly connected to AI. This trend means that job creation is concentrating on senior staff possessing specific technological skills, making it difficult for job seekers, particularly those without experience or AI expertise, to enter the job market or advance their career. This shift casts doubt on Prime Minister Andy Burnham's initiatives to encourage young people to pursue technical qualifications to future-proof their careers.\n\nFurthermore, the hiring slowdown is particularly pronounced for blue-collar occupations, with manufacturing postings down 58% since June 2022 and 18% lower than last summer. Occupations like installation and maintenance, loading and stocking, and construction have also struggled to recover. Youth unemployment in Britain is at its highest in over a decade, a situation that Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey attributes to an economy characterized by \"low hire, low fire.\"\n\nKennedy emphasizes that the demand for AI skills and experience is becoming more stringent, particularly for entry-level and junior roles. This evolving job market underscores the growing disparity between skilled workers with AI expertise and those without, as well as the challenges faced by jobseekers in a market increasingly prioritizing seniority and AI proficiency.",
  "summary": "“Demand is concentrating around experienced workers and roles directly connected to AI, rather than flowing evenly through the profession.”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "Indeed: UK employers are creating jobs for senior staff in software engineering and IT, where AI enhances the value of experience, while cutting back elsewhere (Irina Anghel/Bloomberg)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/indeed-uk-employers-are-creating-jobs-for-senior-staff-in-software",
        "published": "2026-08-03T07:45:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}