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Artificial Intelligence: Job Creation

Asked by Wendy MortonConservativeDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 26 June 2026UIN 10629

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the number of jobs that will be created under the UK AI Hardware Plan; what proportion of funding will be directed outside London and the South East; and whether she plans to publish a regional breakdown of the economic impact.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

The current UK semiconductor sector is spread across the UK, with Scotland, Wales and the East of England being particularly concentrated centres of employment. The government recently published a study which found that the UK semiconductor sector supports 27,245 jobs, and that in a high growth scenario, this could become as high as 40,000 by 2030. The AI Hardware Plan is providing the conditions for stronger growth in the sector, making the higher rate of employment more achievable.

The government regularly monitors the impact of interventions as well as the growth of key strategic sectors. The government’s published studies into the semiconductor sector cover regional employment and revenue, meaning that we will be able to accurately measure and track future changes.

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