New data from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, finds that while nearly two thirds (61%) of UK professionals plan to look for a new job this year, (79%) of HR professionals say it’s actually become harder to find qualified talent in the last year. 

Job seekers (41%) are applying to more jobs than ever, but are hearing back less. Hirers are also finding the process increasingly challenging. Nearly a quarter (23%) of HR professionals are spending between 3 - 5 hours a day sifting through applications, with 42% saying that less than half of job applications received meet all of the criteria listed. 

This mismatch is partly driven by changes in the skills and roles that businesses need - with platform data showing that nearly 55% of roles on the UK Jobs on the Rise list did not exist 25 years ago. The list shows an increased demand for AI and sustainability roles - AI Engineer, Environmental Officer, Energy Manager and AI Researcher are all among the top 10 fastest-growing job roles in the UK.

LinkedIn’s inaugural Work Change Report shows that global hiring for AI talent has surged more than 300% over the last eight years. While these changes are driving innovation and growth, they are also presenting new hiring challenges.  

LinkedIn data shows that the skills needed for jobs are expected to change 70% by 2030, accelerated by rapid developments in AI. HR professionals list finding candidates with the right technical (49%) and soft (42%) skills as some of the top challenges they face - and nearly two-thirds (61%) say there’s a mismatch between the skills job seekers have and the skills their organisation needs. 

Access to the latest hiring technologies - including AI-powered tools to make hiring faster - is the #1 thing UK HR professionals (45%) say would make the hiring process easier, with over two thirds (67%) saying AI makes it easier to find qualified candidates. To mitigate against emerging skills gaps, businesses are also looking to build skills from within: around two thirds of HR professionals say their organisation is prioritising upskilling initiatives in 2025 - in areas such as AI (65%), sustainability (64%), and soft skills (68%).

says: “With work and hiring changing so rapidly - the skills needed for jobs are expected to change 70% by 2030 - businesses must find a way to bridge any gaps within their organisations. This is actually a very exciting opportunity for both job seekers and leaders to think differently about skills and stay competitive. Skills-based hiring will be crucial for companies looking to stay ahead, and LinkedIn’s new job match tool is designed to streamline that process, by closely matching jobseekers with the right roles and skills that employers are looking for”. 

James Milligan, Global Head of Technology, Engineering & Contracting, Hays, says: “Whether you’re a business looking to get the upper hand on competitors, or a jobseeker looking for your next role, you will be left behind if you don’t embrace new technologies like AI. Look at the digitisation of work over the past years. If a business failed to digitise and was still using older methods, like filing cabinets and pen and paper, they are highly likely not to exist today. The same will be true of candidates and organisations who do not embrace AI. They will fall behind. The true impact will probably be felt after 2030, but the preparation needs to be made now. Those who embrace it will be winning later on, whilst those who ignore it, will likely be out of business in a few years’ time.”

To help businesses and professionals hire and get hired, LinkedIn is rolling out new tools: 

LinkedIn will also continue the roll out of its first AI agent, Hiring Assistant - launched in October - designed to take on a recruiter’s most repetitive tasks so they can spend more time on their most impactful work. It will help hirers find candidates based on skills, as opposed to traditional proxies like where someone went to school or previous employers. And, LinkedIn continues to show verifications on job posts, so when a job seeker sees a job with a verified badge, that means certain information about the organisation or the job poster has been confirmed.