Finance hiring climbs 13% as technology and fintech drive growth across UK
The UK finance sector exceeded expectations in 2025, with professional vacancies rising 13% according to the latest Year in Review: Finance Labour Market Trends Report by Morgan McKinley and Vacancysoft. This growth occurred despite inflationary pressures and ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.
Growth was underpinned by sustained investment in digital infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and risk management. Banking accounted for 61% of all financial vacancies, up 8% year-on-year, while fintech expanded 29%, consolidating its position as the sector’s most dynamic segment. Accountancy recorded a 15% gain.
London Leads Whilst Regions Show Selective Strength
Greater London drove national growth, with a 17% increase lifting its share to 53%. Though parts of the country saw contraction, regional centres such as Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded double-digit gains, showing selective momentum.
Accountancy Hiring Reflects Strategic and Structural Shifts
Hiring in accountancy showed renewed strength, with overall vacancies up 15% year-on-year. Demand for core accountant roles rose 14%, while executive management more than doubled, reflecting a shift toward senior oversight in a volatile market. IT hiring accelerated 40%, now representing 15% of accountancy vacancies, driven by digitisation and automation initiatives. Conversely, consultancy and HR roles declined, as firms prioritised operational hires. Deloitte and KPMG led in volume growth, posting increases of 80% and 37% respectively. By contrast, PwC and BDO saw vacancies fall by over a third, highlighting divergent recruitment strategies across the top-tier firms.
Victoria Walmsley, managing director, Morgan McKinley commented: “After several years of disruption, the UK financial service jobs market has entered a more selective and disciplined phase. While hiring is no longer volume-driven, organisations are investing with greater precision in roles that support productivity, transformation and long-term competitiveness. This shift reflects structural change rather than short-term volatility, with employers positioning now for the next growth cycle.”
Banking Grows, But Expansion Is Uneven Across Divisions
The banking sector continued to restructure in 2025, with hiring focused on digital delivery and core operational capacity. IT management roles surged 42%, while banking operations grew 30%, reflecting continued emphasis on resilience and transformation. Development and engineering climbed 24%, reinforcing the sector’s tech-first focus.
Risk & Compliance dipped slightly, though it remained foundational. Commercial banking declined 10%, indicating ongoing cost control in client-facing areas. Firm-level trends were mixed: JPMorgan, Barclays and Citi all recorded strong growth, while HSBC cut vacancies by 24%. The overall picture is one of selective investment shaped by digital strategy and organisational rebalancing.
Fintech Cemented as Growth Engine of Financial Services
Fintech hiring surged again in 2025, rising 29% year-on-year. Software engineering and product management roles rose by over 70%, while business development expanded 47%, highlighting a market still in aggressive scale-up mode. Radius, Ebury Partners and Monzo led the charge, growing vacancies by 50 – 90%.
Established players such as Sage and Revolut added headcount at a slower pace. Starling Bank was the outlier, recording a 24% decline. The broader pattern suggests a maturing ecosystem: fintech firms are evolving from disruption to infrastructure, building out operational capacity across payments, credit, compliance, and SME services.
Top Fintech Companies, Professional Vacancies, UK 2024-25
| 2024 | 2025 | YoY% | |
| Radius | 442 | 855 | 93% |
| Wise | 335 | 618 | 85% |
| SumUp | 161 | 500 | 211% |
| Deel | 476 | 494 | 4% |
| Ebury | 293 | 468 | 60% |