The UK is dealing with a ‘substantial’ shortfall in digital skills — and up to three million jobs as businesses ramp up automation

Up to three million UK jobs could be lost to AI over the next ten years, according to the National Foundation For Educational Research (NFER), prompting calls for widespread reskilling programs.

In a new report , the foundation said that roles in at-risk occupations such as administration, secretarial services, customer service, and machine operations are declining at a much faster rate than previously predicted.

While the number of jobs in the labor market as a whole is actually expected to grow by 2035, the study found most growth will be in occupations such as science, engineering, and legal roles.

These jobs require what the NFER sees as “essential” employment skills centered around communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organizing, planning & prioritizing, creative th