FEATURE
WHY THE UK JOB MARKET IS STUCK IN A VICIOUS CYCLE
AI is being used in the recruitment market both by the employers and the potential employees, but it is not always used effectively. Candidates are using AI to apply for a huge variety of jobs which do not always match their skillsets, and HR departments are using it to filter through applications, sometimes rejecting someone who would suit the role well. Louis Allain, VP Product at Welcome to the Jungle, a media and recruitment technology company, discusses how companies may use AI effectively in the hiring process.
There’ s a conversation happening in boardrooms and HR departments across the UK right now, along the lines of:‘ we’ re receiving more applications than ever, our hiring process is more automated than ever, and yet we’ re struggling more than ever to find the right people’. How is that possible?
The answer is that the UK jobs market has engineered itself into a vicious cycle, and most of the organisations caught in it don’ t realise they’ re part of what’ s sustaining it.
More applications, worse outcomes
Welcome to the Jungle’ s own data tells the story clearly: job applications on the platform grew by 28.1 % year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, and are now more than 50 % higher than two years ago. That sounds like a healthy talent pipeline until you look at the quality: 77 % of those applications don’ t match the role they’ re applying for. The sheer volume of candidates landing in hiring managers’ inboxes has grown dramatically, but the proportion worth progressing has not kept pace.
This isn’ t a coincidence. It’ s the predictable result of AI tools on the candidate side dramatically lowering the cost and effort of applying. When generating a tailored cover letter takes just 30 seconds and
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