UK Financial Sector Sees 12% Rise in Vacancies for Tech Roles

Rising Demand for Tech Skills in Finance

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Demand for workers in AI, regulation, data reporting and other specialist skills drove vacancies in Britain's financial sector up 12% in 2025, recruiting firm Morgan McKinley said on Monday, as companies sought to keep up in a technology arms race.

The year-on-year increase happened despite a slowdown in the fourth quarter, as volatility in global markets and uncertainty about the government's November budget prompted caution in hiring managers, Morgan McKinley's London Employment Monitor, a quarterly survey of financial services vacancies, showed.

Software and computer services now account for over 16% of vacancies, above traditional roles such as investment management and banking which accounted for 15% of total vacancies each last year, Mark Astbury, director at Morgan McKinley, said.

Impact of AI on Job Roles

Clerical and administrative positions fell 16%, and broking roles fell 20% over the year, as AI and automation of services reduced the demand for staff in these functions, the data showed.

Current Market Conditions

The robust hiring should continue into the first quarter of this year, Astbury said, as unemployment remained relatively low at 5% and inflation stable at 3.2%. 

(Reporting by Lawrence White, Editing by William Maclean)