AI and Jobs: What a UK Survey, a French Study and One Layoff Actually Show

Is AI already costing jobs? Three pieces of evidence published on 8 October 2026 give a more careful answer than most headlines. A UK official survey finds AI use rising but few firms reporting job cuts. A French central-bank study finds young people’s hiring slowing in AI-exposed jobs, with plenty of caveats. And one software company has blamed “the AI era” for a round of layoffs.

UK: 3 in 10 businesses now use AI

Confirmed official survey. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: “Around 3 in 10 (30%) of all businesses reported using at least one type of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in September 2026”, up from 9% when the question was first asked in September 2023 [1]. Among businesses with 250 or more employees the figure was 51%, and in the information and communication industry it was 60% [1].

On jobs, the ONS asked AI-using firms with 10 or more employees which roles were most affected. 38% said administrative and clerical roles, up 3 percentage points since June 2026, and 24% said creative or design roles [1]. On headcount, the ONS’s exact wording is: “In September 2026, of businesses with 10 or more employees that were currently using AI, 6% reported reduced headcount as a result. Fewer than 1% reported that their headcount had increased. These proportions have remained broadly stable over the last year” [1].

The Business Insights and Conditions Survey is voluntary and self-reported. Wave 165 ran from 21 September to 4 October 2026, with 9,933 responses (a 25.7% response rate), and the ONS labels the results “official statistics in development” [1].

France: young people’s hiring slows in AI-exposed jobs

Confirmed research note; the authors’ own findings and caveats. A Banque de France note (Bloc-notes Éco No. 463) by Marco G. Palladino, Antonin Bergeaud, Antoine Bertheau, Simon Bunel and Oscar Degos tracked hiring and contract endings from January 2019 to March 2026 [2]. It ranked jobs by how much of their work generative AI could technically do or assist.

For 21–29 year-olds, “In March 2026, permanent contract hires in the occupational quintile most exposed to AI were around 28% below their November 2022 level, compared with 8% for the least exposed quintile” [2]. Contract terminations fell too: about 23% against 6% [2]. The gap narrows for older workers and “almost entirely disappears” for those aged 50 and over [2].

Pairing this with its business surveys, the bank tracked “around 6,000 firms, nearly 600 of which reported intensive AI use”, and found “not a statistically significant divergence in firms’ total employment levels” [2]. In short: so far, fewer young people are being taken on, rather than staff being cut.

The authors’ caveats. Monetary tightening, the post-Covid tech correction and teleworking have hit the same jobs since 2022 [2]. The bank’s surveys measure AI use only at the start of 2026, after hiring gaps had appeared, so the comparison cannot yet “separate the specific effect of AI from the selection of the firms adopting it” [2]. The note adds that early studies abroad are mixed: one in Norway found no relative decline in the most exposed jobs, and one in Denmark found no detectable average effect on hours or earnings [2].

HoneyBook: about 14% of staff, citing “the AI era”

Reported; the AI reason is the company’s own statement. Ctech reports that HoneyBook, which makes business software for US small businesses, is laying off “approximately 14% of its 255-strong workforce”, “around 30 to 35 employees”, mostly in Israel [3]. In a statement quoted by Ctech, the company said it is “undergoing a reorganization process aimed at aligning our structure and workflows with the AI era” and that “This move is driven by financial strength and strategic focus” [3].

What this does not prove

• That AI is causing UK job losses at scale. 6% of AI-using firms with 10+ staff self-reported reduced headcount; the survey does not measure how many jobs [1].
• That AI caused the French hiring slowdown. The authors say they cannot yet separate AI from other forces and from which firms adopt it [2].
• Why HoneyBook really cut jobs. “The AI era” is the company’s explanation, as reported by Ctech [3].

The Bottom Line

AI use among UK businesses has more than tripled since 2023, but only a small minority of users report cutting staff because of it. In France, the early sign is fewer young hires in exposed jobs, not mass redundancies, and its authors are cautious about cause. HoneyBook’s cut is one company’s account. The early evidence points to slower hiring, not mass job losses.

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Sources

1. Office for National Statistics, “Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026”, statistical bulletin, Business Insights and Conditions Survey Wave 165 (21 September to 4 October 2026), published 8 October 2026 (official statistics in development; voluntary, self-reported survey). https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/8october2026
2. Marco G. Palladino, Antonin Bergeaud, Antoine Bertheau, Simon Bunel and Oscar Degos, “Generative AI: the first changes in the labour market are affecting young people”, Banque de France Bloc-notes Éco, Post No. 463, 8 October 2026 (central-bank research note; authors’ findings and caveats). https://www.banque-france.fr/en/publications-and-statistics/publications/generative-ai-first-changes-labour-market-are-affecting-young-people
3. Meir Orbach, “HoneyBook lays off 14% of workforce in AI-driven restructuring”, Ctech (Calcalist), 8 October 2026, 13:13 BST (news report; the AI rationale is the company’s statement). https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/syg9pbhizx