Emily Aldrich says:

Towards the end of each year, I’m inevitably asked one of two questions by our clients: “Have you had a good year?” and “How do you feel about the outlook for next year?” I thought that I would write down my thoughts about these questions, because last year and this coming year look set to be rather unique.

2025 was a good year overall for the job market

Personally and professionally, 2025 was a good year. My clients’ businesses performed well, and the jobs market didn’t crumble in the way many feared. Quite the contrary: The jobs market has shown much resilience during a period of higher rates, geopolitical unrest, tax changes, and the impending dread of a recession.

AI uptake has begun to impact certain jobs

Even so, some potential candidates came to us with worries that hiring had stopped, particularly due to increasing AI uptake in business. We saw some truth to this. Our reading was that companies were entering a state of play where they could become more selective and hire fewer people.

This, however, had the knock-on effect that companies were paying properly for experience, judgement and execution.

Our jobs market future is collaborative

When people ask whether I’m optimistic about the future, the answer is yes! This coming year, the jobs market looks to be especially interesting, particularly within London’s financial services.

While AI might reduce the need for some roles, tech-literate talent will always be in demand. In 2025, we had no trouble finding roles for our motivated and skilled candidates, and we expect that to continue. Past candidates have reported getting promoted or being tapped for new ventures faster than expected in 2025.

Better jobs also come with a lot of competition. This is not an easy market, and for us as recruiters with a big pool of talented candidates, we see that as positive. Skills, judgement, adaptability and passion will start to matter more than brand names on a CV.

Consider jobs outside established companies

If you are looking for a new role this year, we are already seeing a lot of growth in startups and entrepreneurial businesses. These companies usually have smaller teams, which means more responsibility and better long-term outcomes for those who deliver.

Those early on in their careers will get a particular benefit from working in leaner organisations, as they will end up learning faster, which is absolutely crucial in markets of rapid development through AI.

London remains a financial hub in 2026

London remains globally competitive in many industries, from infrastructure, energy transition, private credit, and specialist advisory, to technology-enabled services and consumer experiences.

London’s financial ecosystem is especially thriving because it can still reap the benefits of having greater capital and talent pools compared to other cities. As we see workers gradually returning to in-office roles, mentoring opportunities are becoming incredibly powerful for younger staff who are seeking roles in leadership.

The 2026 jobs market outlook

All this being said, there are still real challenges for us to overcome: higher taxation, pressure on pensions, tighter budgets, and global uncertainty mean that anything could change in 2026. But none of these obstacles reduce companies’ needs for talented people to design, finance, build, operate and manage their real assets and projects. If anything, complexity increases demand for capable people.

That feels like a solid reason to be cheerful.

Best wishes, and good luck for 2026,
Emily