AI-led job losses hit London's coders, lawyers, and analysts

AI Turns Coders, Lawyers and Analysts Into Ghosts of London’s Past

Bloomberg reports that AI-driven job displacement has arrived for London's white-collar workers. In the first five months of 2026, hiring for legal, IT, and analyst roles in the City dropped over 20% year-on-year, while redundancies doubled. Law firms like Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance, plus several banks, are using AI tools to shrink junior headcount. The data comes from recruiters and company disclosures, not official statistics, so treat the exact numbers with caution—but the direction is clear: routine cognitive work is being cut systematically.

Why it matters: Bloomberg cites recruitment agency data showing London City legal, IT, and analyst hiring down >20% YoY with layoffs doubled; named firms like Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance are using AI to cut junior headcount. Concrete numbers and named entities lift it above generic tren...