AI could replace 3 million low-skilled jobs in the UK by 2035, study says
A new study says that up to 3 million low-skilled jobs in the UK may disappear by 2035 because of automation and artificial intelligence.
According to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), the jobs most at risk include work in trades, machine operation, and administrative tasks.
However, the report says that highly skilled workers will be more in demand. This is because AI and new technologies may increase workloads for professionals, at least in the short to medium term. Overall, the UK could still add 2.3 million new jobs by 2035, but these jobs will not be spread evenly.
These findings are different from other recent research that said AI would mainly impact high-skilled jobs like software engineers and management consultants.
For example, a study from King’s College released in October found that “higher-paying firms” lost about 9.4% of jobs between 2021 and 2025, especially after the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.
The UK government also says that management consultants, psychologists, and legal professionals are more at risk from AI, while sports players, roofers, and bricklayers are less likely to be replaced.
Recently, the law firm Clifford Chance said it was cutting 10% of its business services staff in London – around 50 jobs – partly because of AI. PwC’s head also reduced earlier plans to hire 100,000 people by 2026, saying AI had changed hiring needs.
Jude Hillary, one of the authors of the NFER report, said that some predictions about AI job losses might be too early. He believes some layoffs blamed on AI may actually be caused by the UK’s weak economy, higher national insurance costs, and employers being cautious.
He said many companies are unsure about how AI will affect them and are waiting before making big changes.
Hillary explained that AI will have a mixed impact on the UK workforce: it will increase demand for some professional jobs, reduce demand for many entry-level roles, and lower the need for many low-skilled jobs. He said the loss of low-skilled jobs is the most worrying because people in these roles may find it hard to retrain for new opportunities.
“The new jobs appearing in the labour market are mostly professional roles,” he said. “Workers who lose lower-skilled jobs — the one to three million we mention in our report — will face major challenges getting back into work.”
Published: 25th November 2025
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