SignalHire Reveals Top 10 Most In-Demand AI Jobs for 2026: Data Engineers Lead Recruiter Searches

Analysis of 850M+ professional database shows AI-skilled workers now earn 56% more than peers in identical roles

SignalHire has released its 2026 AI Jobs Analysis, revealing the artificial intelligence positions generating the highest recruiter interest worldwide.

 The findings show Data Engineers leading demand, more than double any other AI position, as organizations race to build the data infrastructure essential for AI deployment.

Top 10 In-Demand AI Positions

Based on recruiter search patterns across SignalHire’s 850M+ professional database:

Data Engineer ($130K–$200K+)

AI Engineer ($140K–$180K)

Data Scientist ($139K–$180K+)

Machine Learning Engineer ($158K–$245K)

AI Developer ($120K–$160K)

Automation Engineer ($100K–$140K)

Deep Learning Engineer ($150K–$220K)

ETL Developer ($90K–$130K)

NLP Engineer ($140K–$200K)

AI Infrastructure Engineer ($150K–$200K)

Key Market Findings

The analysis aligns with broader industry research:

56% wage premium: PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer shows AI-skilled workers earn 56% more than colleagues without AI abilities in identical roles—up from 25% the previous year

50% job listing growth: Deloitte reports generative AI developer positions increased 50% between 2022 and 2024

35% projected growth: Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Data Scientist employment will grow 35% through 2032

Entry Points for Career Changers

The research identifies three accessible pathways into AI careers:

Automation Engineer: Ideal for professionals with programming and business process knowledge

ETL Developer: Natural transition for database administrators and SQL experts

Data Engineer: Logical progression for software engineers with database experience

Why Data Engineers Lead

“While AI Engineers and Data Scientists generate most media attention, Data Engineers topped our recruiter searches by a significant margin,” the analysis notes. “Organisations have recognised that AI models require clean, accessible data infrastructure before any machine learning can occur.”

https://www.signalhire.com

Blog: https://blog.signalhire.com

Expromet Technologies Group expands UK manufacturing capabilities with acquisition of Tiverton Fabrications Limited

Expromet Technologies Group, a top precision engineering group serving global OEMs, Tier 1s and associated supply chains, has announced the acquisition of Tiverton Fabrications Limited, a renowned,  trusted provider of fabricated and welded solutions.

The acquisition further strengthens Expromet’s position as a turnkey manufacturing partner, broadening its UK footprint and enabling the group to offer fully integrated casting, machining, welding, fabrication and assembly across its sites.

Based in Tiverton, Devon, Tiverton Fabrications specialises in performance-critical welded solutions, including bespoke vessels, vacuum chambers, cylinders and tubes in a variety of materials including aluminium, stainless steel and speciality alloys, for customers across the UK and worldwide. 

By joining Expromet, Tiverton Fabrications strengthens its position within a robust and high-growth organisation, whilst supplementing customers’ access to advanced engineering processes across the Group.

Rob Guest, CEO of Expromet Technologies Group, told That's Business: “We're delighted to welcome Tiverton Fabrications to Expromet.

"This acquisition marks another important step in Expromet’s strategy to build a group of complementary precision engineering businesses. Tiverton Fabrications’ wealth of expertise across engineering processes is a natural extension of our existing casting, welding and machining capabilities, allowing us to offer customers a comprehensive manufacturing solution from concept to finished assembly.”

Noel Sugden, Production Director of Tiverton Fabrications added: “Joining Expromet opens up new opportunities for our customers and our team, and we look forward to working with Expromet Group. Expromet’s investment, technical capability and global industry experience will allow us to expand our capabilities while continuing to deliver the high standards and personal service that our customers expect.”

Alongside Expromet’s other group companies Haworth Castings (sand and gravity die casting), Investacast (investment casting and pressure die casting), and Metaltech Precision (CNC machining and fabrication), Tiverton Fabrications will bolster the Group’s domestic manufacturing scope as part of a unique end-to-end offering. 

Customers will benefit from a single, trusted source for design, casting, machining, fabrication and assembly, with the added flexibility of overseas sourcing through Expromet’s long-standing partners.

By integrating these complementary capabilities, Expromet helps customers de-risk and streamline their supply chains, improve traceability, and gain greater assurance of quality and delivery performance.

Rob Guest added: “Our goal is to make it easier for customers to source complex, high-quality components and assemblies. With Tiverton Fabrications joining the Group, we can deliver a broader range of manufacturing processes under one roof, supported by global sourcing partnerships that provide resilience and efficiency to customers requiring performance critical components across demanding supply chains.”

https://expromet.com

Customs Declarations UK Launches ICS2 Declarations Support, Enabling Seamless EU Safety and Security Filings Across All Transport Modes

Customs Declarations UK (CDUK), a leading provider of cloud-based customs declaration software, has announced the launch of its ICS2 (Import Control System 2) solution. 

Following integration with the European Union's updated Import Control System, CDUK now enables businesses to file EU Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) across all transport modes, helping traders meet the EU's enhanced pre-arrival safety and security requirements with confidence and ease.

The ICS2 system, mandated by the EU under the Union Customs Code, represents a fundamental shift in how safety and security data is collected for goods entering or transiting through the EU, Norway, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland. 

As of September 1, 2025, ICS2 became the sole system for managing advance cargo information across air, maritime, road, and rail transport, replacing the legacy ICS1 system entirely.

Comprehensive Coverage for All EU-Bound and Intra-EU Movements

Customs Declarations UK's ICS2 solution provides comprehensive support for businesses moving goods from Great Britain into the European Union, as well as for intra-EU movements where goods are transported from one EU Member State to another. This capability is critical for logistics providers, freight forwarders, carriers, and traders operating across multiple European jurisdictions who must comply with ICS2 requirements regardless of the shipment's origin or final destination within the EU customs territory.

"The implementation of ICS2 represents a significant evolution in EU customs compliance, and we recognized early on that our customers needed a solution that could handle the full complexity of these requirements" Jawahir Lal Lund, CEO of Customs Declarations UK told that's Buisiness.

"Whether you're shipping office equipment from Manchester to Rotterdam, or coordinating intra-EU movements between multiple Member States, our platform provides the same guided, validated filing experience that has made CDUK the trusted choice for thousands of UK customs declarations. We've designed this solution to remove the complexity from ICS2 compliance, allowing businesses to focus on moving goods efficiently rather than navigating regulatory requirements."

Built for Simplicity, Designed for Compliance

The CDUK ICS2 solution integrates seamlessly into the platform's existing customs declaration infrastructure, offering users a familiar, intuitive interface enhanced with ICS2-specific functionality:

Step-by-step guided wizards that adapt to each shipment's transport mode and business model

Support for all ICS2 filing types across air, maritime, road, and rail transport

Real-time validation checks to ensure data completeness and accuracy before submission

Reusable party and commodity profiles to streamline repeat filings

Clone functionality to replicate previous declarations with minimal data re-entry

Secure cloud-based architecture with full audit trail and status tracking

Dedicated customer support and technical assistance

Getting Started with ICS2 on Customs Declarations UK Platform

Businesses with upcoming EU movements requiring ICS2 ENS filings can begin using the CDUK platform immediately. The onboarding process is streamlined, with the CDUK support team available to confirm requirements, configure accounts, and provide guidance on filing workflows.

For more information about Customs Declarations UK's ICS2 solution, or to discuss specific compliance requirements and volume-based pricing, businesses can contact the CDUK team via the company website at www.customs-declarations.uk.

Why Calm, Consistent Leadership Matters More Than Ever

In a world where leadership is often loud, performative, and driven by constant urgency, particularly in the wake of burnout, disengagement, and sustained organisational change, 

If Bears Did Leadership offers a quieter, more reflective alternative.

Written by Karl Wood, an author and senior people and culture leader with nearly three decades of international experience, If Bears Did Leadership draws on twelve timeless lessons from the forest to explore what effective leadership looks like in modern workplaces. 

Using bears as quiet teachers rather than heroic symbols, the book focuses on presence, consistency, and care, qualities often overshadowed by speed, status, and performance.

Rather than presenting leadership as a set of rigid frameworks or quick fixes, Wood uses storytelling and metaphor to examine the everyday behaviours that build trust and credibility over time. 

Each chapter blends simple narrative with grounded professional experience, encouraging leaders to slow down, reflect, and practise leadership in ways that feel authentic and sustainable.

Beautifully illustrated by David Hallangen, the book is designed to be both a lasting resource and a thoughtful gift. Each of the twelve themes follows a repeatable four-week rhythm of reflection, thinking, action, and rest, supporting individual reflection, team discussion, and leadership development without urgency or pressure.

The foreword is written by Dr S. Y. Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, whose experience leading one of the world’s largest democratic institutions reinforces the book’s emphasis on ethical, humane leadership and long-term responsibility.

Wood describes leadership as something shaped through daily behaviour rather than performance. Throughout the book, he explores how presence, reflection, and care create trust over time, encouraging leaders to step away from constant urgency and rediscover a calmer, more human way of leading.

If Bears Did Leadership is out on 27 February 2026 and is intended for leaders, managers, HR professionals, and organisations seeking a steadier, wiser approach to leadership in complex and demanding environments.

https://www.winchr.uk

Standardisation, compliance and the simple ‘Get out of Jail Free card’ that could help your company avoid a £60,000 fine

With less than a month to go before the new code of practice for Right to Work comes into full legal effect, UK employers are being warned that a simple administrative slip-up could now cost a business up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

Speaking on the Recruitment Reimagined webinar series, hosted by Reach ATS, Right to Work (RTW) experts Paul Herring and James Marsden from Rightcheck discussed how businesses can protect themselves, and their employer brand, as fraudsters adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics.

As the Home Office moves to a ‘digital by default’ enforcement model, Marsden and Herring discussed the need for company-wide standardisation, and how the secret to staying safe lies in a simple ‘get out of jail free card’ known as the statutory excuse.

Herring warns against the dangers of ‘trusting’ rather than verifying, “your only protection is to have done the check correctly according to the Home Office rules in the first place, because then you have a statutory excuse. Without that statutory excuse you’re liable…”

“It’s not the company, it’s the government”

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges with RTW tests is ensuring that candidates aren’t alienated by what can feel like an overly intrusive process. Of course, it’s vital businesses look out for potential fraud, modern slavery or domestic abuse, but they also need to ensure that the candidate experience doesn’t start to feel like an interrogation, Herring says, “Don’t forget the candidates in all of this, their experience is very important… make it easy, acceptable, accessible”.

Marsden agrees, “robust checks and awareness throughout the hiring lifecycle [helps] to spot potential vulnerabilities as well, and protect both the business, and the individuals.”

This can also be a useful approach for internal communications, observed Herring, particularly when trying to impress the importance of standardised RTW checks on diverse hiring teams. “It’s quite important that the people that conduct the checks out there in the field, at the warehouse, at different sites understand that it’s not the company asking them to do this check. It’s actually the Government you’re conducting the check on behalf of.” This reframing shows colleagues, and candidates you’re not being difficult, you’re simply the one ensuring the candidate is protected and the business is compliant.

From deepfake to compliant proof

From entire departments made up of workers using fake identification to candidates using deepfake AI during interviews, Marsden and Herring made clear just how real the risk for businesses is. A webinar attendee mentioned they had also encountered a candidate using deepfake AI to impersonate someone else in an interview, showing just how widespread these issues are.

But alongside these concerning examples, the Rightcheck experts offered practical advice to help businesses spot fraud, tighten their hiring processes and protect their employer brand. Their most crucial takeaway was clear: “The main thing is to have a very standardised process,” says Herring. “If you have a process in place that is doing that check to a standard, that’s the most important thing for an organisation…even if it’s to a manual standard, that’s fine.”

He continues, “Every sector has its own risk profile… it’s more about understanding where pressure points lie within the business and putting the right controls in place.”

And the four main actions they would recommend all businesses do right now?

1. Standardise when RTW checks are done within the hiring process across your business

2. Follow the government frameworks to protect your businesses

3. Use digital tools where possible to verify identities

4. Use the three-point visual check: ensure the face on the documentation matches the candidate, that the age is consistent, and the documents are in date.

The Rightcheck experts again stressed how important a standardised process is, Herring says, “The whole recruitment process and conducting a Right to Work check is spread out amongst disparate stakeholders in the process… but, if you delegate that task to one person in your business that hasn’t a clue what they’re doing, you’ve got a single point of failure. 

"Because their errors could be that 60,000 fine or worse. So, control, and visibility of the checks, from the moment you ask for it, to the end, is really important.”

For more information on Right to Work compliance checks, and how businesses can use technology to combat fraud and support Right to Work, watch the full webinar: Recruitment Reimagined: Right to Work 2026 – What UK Employers Need to Know. https://reach-ats.com/articles/candidate-attraction/webinar-recap-right-to-work-2026-what-uk-employers-need-to-know

That's Business suggests that every business watches this webinar.

Faking positivity at work is causing leaders to burn out

Being forced to fake their emotions in the workplace is causing leaders to burn out, according to new research by emlyon business school.

The researchers say that this ‘surface acting’ creates a scientifically proven exhaustion loop that drains the very resources necessary to function well in interpersonal environments. 

As a result, cognitive capacity declines, authenticity erodes, and team trust suffers in ways that makes engaging in leadership more difficult in the future.

The study, conducted by Gordon Sayre, Professor of Management at emlyon business school, alongside colleagues from Pennsylvania State University, and National Sun Yat-Sen University, explored a common behaviour known as surface acting - where individuals present emotions they do not genuinely feel to meet professional expectations.

While often seen as part of being “professional,” the research shows that this emotional masking depletes leaders’ energy, increases exhaustion, and creates a self-reinforcing cycle that becomes harder to escape the longer it continues.

Participants took part in two intensive studies, with 55 employees in the first and 87 in the second, reporting on their emotional energy, emotion regulation, and recovery activities several times per day across multiple working days.

According to the findings, employees who begin the day feeling emotionally drained are more likely to engage in surface acting, and this behaviour further intensifies fatigue by the end of the day. Over time, this traps individuals in a spiral of maladaptive surface acting that can be difficult to break free from. It also reduces leaders’ capacity to remain present, authentic, and effective in their roles, affecting the quality of their interactions with colleagues and teams.

Professor Gordon Sayre explained to That's Business that “employees may surface act not out of their own volition but rather because they are ‘stuck’ in a loss spiral.” 

This means employees continue to put on a positive front not because it is effective or healthy, but because depleted energy and emotional resources leave them without the capacity to engage in more genuine, adaptive forms of emotional regulation.

Importantly, the research also highlights how leaders can break this cycle. Recovery, involves replenishing depleted emotional energy by reducing demands and creating distance from work.

Professor Sayre went on to say that “recovery after work effectively breaks the loss spiral of surface acting. By building in moments of emotional recovery, leaders are better equipped to shift from surface acting to more authentic emotional engagement, reducing strain, strengthening trust, and preventing exhaustion from taking hold.”

The researchers state that it is not about eliminating emotion, but about engaging with it more honestly. By doing so, leaders can preserve their energy, improve decision-making, and foster more resilient and authentic workplace relationships.

The researchers suggest organisations need to move beyond resilience rhetoric and address the conditions that create emotional strain in the first place. Allowing time for genuine recovery, setting clearer boundaries around emotional demands, and reducing customer mistreatment can help prevent leaders and employees from becoming locked into cycles of exhaustion.

Supporting more authentic emotional engagement not only alleviates stress but also strengthens trust, decision-making and long-term performance.

https://em-lyon.com/en

Feedr Data Suggests the Working Week Is Rebalancing as Office Attendance Spreads Beyond Midweek

Office attendance patterns are starting to shift beyond the typical post-Covid midweek peak, according to new data from corporate food platform Feedr.

Analysis of workplace catering and employee lunch benefit data from 2025 shows that while Tuesday to Thursday remain the most popular days for office attendance, the start and end of the week are experiencing a steady rise in engagement, supported by more deliberate investment in food and workplace experiences.

Midweek Remains Strong, While the Week Rebalances

Tuesday to Thursday continue to anchor office life, accounting for the clear majority of weekday catering activity and reinforcing their role as the core days for collaboration, meetings and in-person connection.

However, Feedr’s data indicates office engagement is becoming more evenly distributed across the working week.

Renewed Engagement at the Edges of the Working Week

Alongside sustained midweek demand, Feedr observed renewed activity on Mondays and Fridays in 2025.

- Friday orders increased year-on-year, reversing the typical end-of-week drop-off.

- Monday and Friday saw the strongest growth in total daily spend, signalling increased employer investment on traditionally quieter days.

- Friday saw a 44.89% increase in total spend, while Monday rose by 28.31% - significantly higher than Tuesday (20.08%), Thursday (19.16%) and Wednesday (11.41%).

Together, these shifts suggest that employees are increasingly choosing to attend the office on Mondays and Fridays, as employers make these days more attractive through improved workplace experiences, such as high quality catering, helping to smooth activity across the working week without forcing a return to pre-pandemic patterns.

More Consistent Investment in Workplace Food

Feedr also analysed data from Cloud Canteen, its individual meal plan service where employers provide daily lunch credits that can only be used for meals ordered to the workplace. By increasing the value of these credits, employers are making in-office lunches more appealing to employees, signalling a deliberate investment in improving the office experience to encourage attendance.

In 2025, Feedr recorded a 6.26% year-on-year increase in typical employer-provided credit spend across Cloud Canteen main meals, rising from approximately £10.70 in 2024 to £11.37 in 2025. This points to a consistent increase in employer investment on in-office days, rather than short term or one-off changes.

At the same time, broader ad hoc catering behaviour remained stable year-on-year, with nearly 65% of orders placed more than a week in advance, indicating that companies continue to plan office food deliberately as part of wider workplace and attendance strategies.

Workplace Food Reflects Evolving Employee Expectations

Beyond timing and spend, Feedr’s data highlights a shift towards more thoughtful, experience-led workplace food.

- Pop-up food activations increased by 22.2%, reflecting growing appetite for variety and moments of engagement at work.

- Seasonal and cultural moments continue to drive the highest demand for corporate catering with Christmas, Black History Month, Pancake Day and Summer Parties leading the way.

This suggests food is increasingly being used to create shared moments and reinforce workplace culture, rather than serving a purely functional role.

“What stood out in 2025 wasn’t how often people came into the office, but how thoughtfully employers invested when they did,” Katie Fenton, Managing Director of Feedr told That's Food and Drink.

“Food has become a strategic tool for connection and culture, helping organisations encourage attendance without losing the flexibility employees value.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

Feedr expects this gradual rebalancing of the working week to continue throughout 2026, as organisations focus on maintaining strong midweek collaboration while encouraging more consistent attendance across the full week through flexible incentives.

Feedr is a leading corporate catering platform helping businesses deliver flexible catering and employee lunch benefits for modern, hybrid teams. Feedr works with hundreds of UK workplaces, connecting them to high-quality, diverse food suppliers while giving employers full control over spend and employee experience.

For more information about Feedr visit: Feedr Website https://feedr.co