Policy paper

Entry-level hiring in the UK: a snapshot

An analysis of UK entry-level hiring trends, exploring how labour market conditions, skills mismatches and AI are shaping opportunities for new workers.

• From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Published: 8 June 2026

Documents

A snapshot of entry-level hiring in the UK

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Details

This brief, published by LinkedIn and the AI & the Future of Work Unit, analyses UK entry-level hiring trends using LinkedIn data.

UK hiring sits at –14% year-on-year as of April 2026. Entry-level hiring is falling broadly in line with the wider market, though the overall picture masks significant variation. Of 38 tracked entry-level occupations, 30 are declining. Information-processing roles are falling fastest — Accountant (–29%), Graphic Designer (–28%), Software Engineer (–27%) — while sales and customer-facing roles are growing.

A skills mismatch is making entry harder in declining occupations, with employers favouring experienced candidates who already have the operational skills most entry-level candidates lack.

The occupations declining most sharply are also those where AI has become most visibly capable, but further research is needed before conclusions can be drawn.

Published 8 June 2026