UK FinTechs will increase the number of people they hire by 32 per cent this year despite the challenging economic environment, according to new research from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley and labour data provider Vacancysoft.

The report said that while the economic situation remains volatile and venture funding is below historical norms, employers are proceeding with strategic hires.

The research attributed the growth to several factors including product expansion, operational scaling, cyber reforms and the potential renewal of UK-EU financial services.

Risk and compliance hiring is one area where hiring is rising, with the report predicting that it will rise by 29 per cent in 2025.

Within this number, the demand for financial crime specialists will jump by 50 per cent and the number of fraud-related roles will double, according to the research.

The report said that the increase reflects heightened regulatory scrutiny and higher operational complexity, particularly for firms with cross-border exposure.

As regulatory expectations shift from minimum standards to active governance, the report found that FinTechs are investing accordingly by seeking experienced professionals to strengthen internal control frameworks and support future licensing requirements.

Elsewhere, technology-related hiring will grow by around 39 per cent this year, with the most demand in engineering, IT management and cybersecurity, says the report.

The report reveals that London continues to dominate hiring in this space, influenced by the upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.

As FinTechs replace legacy systems and meet rising compliance expectations, the report said that system resilience and threat mitigation skills are in high demand.

Mark Astbury, Director, Morgan McKinley UK, said there is a shift from “rapid-fire” scaling to a more deliberate strategic expansion in response to real world pressures.

“FinTech firms are hiring to meet rising regulatory expectations as they grow, to counter increasingly sophisticated financial threats, and to build more resilient digital infrastructure,” he added. “The surge in fraud risk and compliance roles, alongside double-digit growth in IT security and engineering, reflects an industry maturing in response to both opportunity and obligation.”

---