Indeed data shared with Bloomberg indicates the UK labor market is increasingly concentrating hiring around experienced workers and roles directly tied to AI. Employers posted about 10% fewer vacancies in the latest month than in January 2025, but software developer postings rose 14%, with gains skewing toward senior and AI-adjacent roles. The report highlights sharp divergence across occupations: IT and engineering have held up better as AI increases the value of experience, while vacancies in retail, manufacturing, and substitute-heavy white-collar roles have fallen by double digits. Hiring slowdowns for blue-collar and younger-entry pathways add pressure for workforce and qualification plans. Indeed senior economist Jack Kennedy said demand is splitting into “two speeds,” raising questions about whether training initiatives aimed at young people will translate into first-job access when employers prioritize specific AI-fluent and senior experience. The piece also ties the hiring squeeze to broader UK labor dynamics, including youth unemployment at its highest in over a decade—an issue Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has blamed on a “low hire, low fire” economy.