Amid political transition and economic recovery, 2024 proved largely positive for the UK legal sector, with vacancies rising 14.2% across England and Wales. A post-election surge in M&A activity, especially large-cap buyouts, drove demand for legal professionals, aided by falling interest rates.
AI adoption into insurance is accelerating as businesses optimise processes to improve outcomes while streamlining headcounts, with claims in particular being impacted. As a result, despite a year where the sector saw record profits, vacancies have fallen by 11.7% in 2024 compared to the year before.
The general election’s immediate impact has, unsurprisingly, led to record recruitment, particularly in July. Moreover, Labour’s focus on employment law reforms has driven a surge in demand for employment lawyers, with August also seeing record levels of legal recruitment.
The MedTech sector is slowly gathering steam again in the UK’s post-pandemic economy, and manufacturing is now being scaled up. For 2024 so far, the total number of vacancies has risen overall (both in scientific and non-scientific positions across MedTech).
The UK biotechnology sector is undergoing significant change as 2024 ends, driven by increased corporate venture capital and private equity funding. This financial boost has spurred activity, with investments in startups and scaling initiatives creating new jobs despite lingering post-COVID challenges.
