For too long, talk of recovery has felt more like a headline than a reality. But with the IMF now forecasting the UK to be one of the fastest-growing G7 economies in 2025, the Creative Industries are starting to show a quiet sense of confidence - steadying after a period of pro-longed turbulence and beginning to gear up for growth again.
Behavioural economist, Roger Martin-Fagg’s, latest update also points to a 4% expansion in the UK’s money supply - a sign that more money is finally starting to move through the system. This increased flow of capital should ease some of the economic pressure, sparking investment, unlocking spending, and gradually rebuilding confidence across the market. Added to that, the UK government’s new Industrial Strategy, launched in July, aims to build confidence and accelerate growth through targeted investment in createch, skills, and global expansion – of which we can expect the effects to start being felt early 2026.
From a labour market perspective, the third quarter is always tricky to read. The summer slowdown often distorts the numbers and makes reporting more complex. Even so, the overall picture remains mixed but is trending positive.
Job flow across the Creative Industries fell by 7% between Q2 and Q3. This is an expected annual trend that reflects seasonal patterns and is not indicative of declining employer confidence. With this, we also saw freelance activity drop with 5% and placements softening slightly, as many businesses that intended to hire earlier in the year had already done so. In contrast, permanent roles rose by 10%, and fixed term contracts doubled - a clear signal that employers are re-engaging with longer-term hiring and gradually rebuilding confidence as we head into the final quarter.
While there are clear signs of stabilisation and renewed confidence, we’re also seeing a sense of caution and realism remains across the market. Redundancies at larger businesses continue to make headlines, and the ONS recently reported that vacancies fell by 9,000 (1.3%) between July and September 2025. After months of mixed economic news and continued speculation around the Budget, it’s understandable that employers are taking a measured approach: continuing to hire, but with sharper focus on cost, capability, and return on investment.
Another encouraging note is that hiring sentiment has improved slightly, with 47% of employers indicating their intention to hire in the next six months – that’s up 2% earlier than in the year (Census 2025 vs AI in the Creative Industries survey). Although modest, this shows an increased optimism that the market is moving in the right direction, and coupled with the aforementioned, shows that businesses are starting to look beyond merely solving short-term challenges and more towards structural change and innovation.
Nowhere is this shift more visible than in how the industry is embracing artificial intelligence technology. Since two-thirds of agencies and brands already integrate AI tools and capabilities, the creative economy is once again the first to adapt to disruption – this time through re-imagining workflows, redefining roles, and reshaping creative output. Our recent ‘AI in the Creative Industries’ roundtable, along with our upcoming report (launching 19 November), explores this evolution in depth. The report examines how leaders are harnessing AI not just to streamline processes, but to unlock new forms of creative collaboration and expand commercial opportunities. You can register to download your free copy here.
Change has always been the creative industry’s constant, and in today’s fast-moving environment, freelancers have become a vital part of how it adapts and thrives. Yet they’re also among the most anxious about what’s next: half fear that emerging technologies such as AI pose a real threat to their careers. For too long, freelancers have faced these shifts largely on their own, and that’s why, earlier in the year we launched our free freelance community platform, RUVO.
In the last few months, we’ve welcomed more than 400+ freelancers - providing access to essential guides and resources, skills workshops and upskilling opportunities, alongside forums, co-working clubs, and a growing community focused on helping each other thrive in an evolving market.
As the market steadies and confidence builds, the role of recruitment becomes even more critical. At Major Players, we’re helping brands and agencies navigate this next phase of evolution - connecting them with the specialist talent, data, insight, and solutions they need to move forward.
Whether it’s scaling teams, making niche hires, or embedding talent into new roles across evolving structures, emerging technologies, and shifting retention strategies, we’re here to help shape what comes next. If you’d like to discuss any of these topics or explore how we can support your growth, we’d love to hear from you at talk@majorplayers.co.uk
.png)
.png)
