AI at work in the UK: ONS names the jobs it has hit first

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published Wave 165 of its Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) on 8 October 2026. The survey ran from 21 September to 4 October. It shows how artificial intelligence is reshaping which jobs companies in the United Kingdom rely on — the most recent official figures available to anyone working or job-hunting here.

How many UK businesses already use artificial intelligence?

Three in ten. In September 2026, 30% of all businesses reported using at least one AI technology. When the question was first asked, in September 2023, the figure was 9% — a rise of 20 percentage points in three years. Among businesses with 10 or more employees the share is higher, at 38%, up 3 points on June 2026 and 26 points on September 2023. Among large employers with 250 staff or more, 51% use AI, against 19% three years ago. Among firms with fewer than 10 employees, it is 29%.

Which jobs has AI affected most?

Administrative and clerical ones. Of the businesses with 10 or more employees that already use AI, 38% said administrative and clerical roles were the most affected — paperwork, scheduling, correspondence, data entry. That is 3 points up on June 2026 and 9 points up on December 2025, when the question was first asked. Creative or design roles came second at 24%, broadly unchanged since December 2025.

Is AI cutting headcount?

Barely, so far. Among businesses with 10 or more employees that use AI, only 6% said their headcount had fallen because of it. Fewer than 1% said it had grown. Both shares have been broadly stable over the past year. For now AI is changing what jobs involve more often than it removes posts — but the pressure keeps landing on the same group of roles, and that share has risen in three surveys running.

Which AI tools are employers actually using?

Text generation, above all. Among businesses with 10 or more employees, 21% use large language models to produce text and 19% use AI for images and visual content. Since September 2023 those shares are up 16 and 15 points respectively. By industry, information and communication is furthest ahead: 60% of businesses in that sector use AI, the highest share of any industry in the survey.

What should you do if AI costs you your post?

Check your redundancy entitlement. If you have worked for the employer for two years or more, statutory redundancy pay applies: half a week's pay for each year of service under the age of 22, one week's pay for each year between 22 and 40, and one and a half weeks' pay for each year from 41. Only 20 years of service count. For redundancies on or after 6 April 2026, weekly pay is capped at £751 and the maximum statutory payment at £22,530. A claim about that payment must reach an employment tribunal within six months of the job ending.

Decisions taken about staff by an algorithm with no human involvement are a separate matter. The UK data protection regime places extra duties on employers in those cases; the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publishes the guidance.

What else did the ONS survey of 8 October show?

Energy and fuel bills. Nearly three-quarters of businesses — 72% — reported some degree of concern about energy prices, the highest since the question was introduced in March 2026. In accommodation and food services the figure was 91%. Fuel prices worried 73% of businesses, the highest since May 2026; in transportation and storage, 60% said they were "very concerned". Supply chain risks over the coming year concerned 48% of businesses with 10 or more employees, up 17 points on September 2025, with international conflict (32%) and shipping disruption (21%) the main reasons. Climate change was named as a concern by 41% of businesses, the highest since February 2023.

How reliable are these numbers?

The ONS classes BICS as official statistics in development and advises caution: the survey is voluntary, the questions are revised regularly, and the estimates carry sampling uncertainty. The next BICS release is due on 22 October 2026.