Could automation and AI wipe out millions of low-skilled jobs in the UK?
According to a new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), the answer could be yes.
Up to three million positions in trades, machine operation, and administrative roles may vanish by 2035.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Highly skilled professionals, from doctors to engineers, are expected to see demand rise as AI tools boost productivity.
Overall, the UK could actually add 2.3 million jobs — though they won’t be spread evenly across the workforce.
This contrasts with other studies suggesting AI threatens white-collar, technical jobs more than manual labor.
Even big firms are feeling the impact. Clifford Chance recently cut 10% of its business services staff, partly citing AI.
AI Job Impact
PwC scaled back hiring plans, acknowledging “the world is different” thanks to technology.
Jude Hillary of NFER urges caution. “There’s a lot of talk about AI without any real substance,” he says.
He points to economic slowdown, rising costs, and risk-averse employers as key factors behind layoffs, not AI alone.
Still, he warns that displaced low-skilled workers face huge barriers to re-enter the workforce.
“The additional jobs tend to be professional… those one to three million people will struggle to reskill,” Hillary adds.
So, will AI be the job-killer it’s feared to be — or just a reshaper of work?
Either way, the challenge of adapting to a changing economy is clear.
