"Staff numbers at creative agencies, which are facing acute pressure from the rollout of AI tools that reduce or even replace the need for agency staff, fell more than 14% in 2025. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), which has been reporting on staffing in the UK ad industry since 1959, said it was the biggest year-on-year slump since it started separately reporting staff numbers at creative and media agencies in 2004."
"The decline has been particularly pronounced among younger workers, with the number of employees aged 25 or under falling by 19.2% last year, as the march of AI either cost jobs or led many to re-evaluate their long-term prospects in the industry. Staff numbers in that demographic fell from 3,632 to 2,936. The overall figures showed that almost 60% of staff that left agencies last year chose to resign."
Total employees in UK advertising agencies fell to 24,963 in 2025, down from 26,787 in 2024. Creative agency staff declined by more than 2,000, from 14,775 to 12,659, a drop of over 14%. Employees aged 25 or under fell 19.2%, from 3,632 to 2,936. Almost 60% of staff who left chose to resign. Twenty-four percent of agencies expect to cut jobs directly because of AI this year, a threefold increase from 2025. Advertised jobs across all seniority levels dropped 41%, with creative roles almost halved. Graduate and apprentice hiring fell from 56% to 43%.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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