LHH: 87% of UK HR plan AI-driven redundancies

LHH, the career-transition arm of the Adecco Group, said 87% of UK HR leaders surveyed have either already carried out, or plan to carry out, redundancies in the next 12 months citing skills displacement and “AI transformation” as primary drivers.

Published on 13 July 2026, the research — presented by LHH as "The Mobility Breakdown" — warns of a widening visibility gap in redeployment and outplacement provision, leaving many employers ill-prepared to show how displaced staff will be supported during AI-driven change.

The report frames redundancies as a growing consequence of workforce transformation rather than headcount trimming alone. LHH highlights skills displacement as a central factor: roles are changing faster than many organisations can reskill, and employers are increasingly viewing restructuring as part of their response to AI adoption. The company says those dynamics are prompting more HR teams to plan formal reductions while simultaneously needing to redeploy talent into new roles.

LHH's analysis paints a mixed picture on employer readiness. While many organisations report planning or executing redundancies, the report flags uneven provision of redeployment and outplacement services — from career coaching and retraining to formal internal mobility programmes. According to LHH, that unevenness creates a visibility problem for HR leaders trying to evidence fair, legally robust treatment of affected staff and to meet rising expectations from employees and external stakeholders.

The finding arrives as AI adoption accelerates across sectors that have historically relied on steady, incremental reskilling efforts. For HR leaders, the report underscores a short-term tension: managing immediate structural change while building longer-term talent mobility. LHH notes employers that invest in structured redeployment are more likely to report smoother transitions, but the firm also signals that many organisations lack clear metrics or governance for such programmes.

The research touches on implications for labour relations and regulators. With redundancies being framed explicitly as an outcome of "AI transformation", LHH says HR teams will need to engage more proactively with unions, employee representatives and legal advisers to navigate consultation obligations and mitigate industrial risk. The company suggests HR must also be prepared to demonstrate the rationale for role changes if challenged under employment law.

The report does not disclose a number of details readers will want: it omits a full methodological appendix in the public summary, and does not provide a sectoral or company-size breakdown of respondents in the headline material. LHH's public briefing does not quantify the number of individual roles at risk, specify which AI technologies were linked to restructuring, nor set out standardised measures for assessing redeployment outcomes. The report also provides limited detail on how outplacement services should be scaled or funded in practice.

For HR leaders, the LHH findings are a concrete signal that AI-driven restructuring is moving from hypothetical risk into operational planning. If the trend continues, expect more emphasis on internal mobility frameworks, clearer documentation of redundancy decision-making and earlier engagement with unions and regulators. LHH's research suggests the next phase of work will be less about whether organisations reshape roles because of AI, and more about how they do it in ways that meet legal, ethical and reputational tests.