AI Recruitment Agent To Help Create 5,000 New Jobs Amidst UK Unemployment Crisis

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2026, LONDON, UK: At a time of rising unemployment and growing concern about AI displacing jobs, HealthTech company Cera has pledged to create 5,000 new roles over the next 12 months, using its AI recruitment agent, Ami, to help people access work faster.

The announcement comes amid a national debate on AI and employment. While some warn that automation could replace humans, initiatives like Ami demonstrate the opposite: AI helping more people access meaningful work. Built to spot potential, Ami is designed to dismantle barriers that keep millions of Britons economically inactive, including job interview anxiety. 

Built for care, the technology is now being licensed beyond the sector — from dentistry to logistics — demonstrating its ability to support workforce growth in diverse industries Ami AI is helping tackle the UK's employment crisis, particularly supporting over-50s, those previously economically inactive, and 18–to-24-year-olds not in employment, education, or training (NEETs), to access work faster and with less anxiety.

To support this growth, Cera will train more than 20,000 new and existing staff with essential digital and AI skills throughout 2026, while also creating 5,000 new jobs in the UK's vital health and social care sectors. 

AI Recruiting at Scale

Ami conducts initial telephone screening interviews within seconds of application, using realistic, human-like conversations to assess skills, experience, and suitability. Candidates are asked the same structured questions every time, ensuring fairness and reducing bias.

At Cera, Ami has halved the time from application to first interview and doubled the number of job offers made for the same recruitment spend since launching in August 2025. Ami has already helped recruit over 1,000 carers into frontline roles at Cera, interviewing a total of 14,600 applicants to date, with Cera having attracted over 1 million job applications in the last two years. 

Traditional recruitment processes often leave candidates waiting days or weeks, causing many to drop out. Ami initiates conversations instantly, improving candidate experience while freeing human recruiters to focus on safeguarding, onboarding, training and development.

Carer Mollie Cole-Wilkin, 23 from Norwich, applied online and received a call from Ami almost instantly. She said:

"At first I was taken aback because it sounded so realistic — I thought it was a real person. The conversation was friendly, encouraging, clear and structured, covering my experience, availability, and motivation. I found it very rewarding. Being contacted immediately made a huge difference. I found it much easier than a face-to-face interview and I wasn't left wondering what would happen next. 

“Knowing there wasn't a judgmental person on the other end helped me feel at ease and took away any job interview anxiety. I progressed quickly with the human recruiter and now feel like I've had a fresh start. The role has changed how I see myself, and I love making a difference to people's lives. I think AI interviews are more inclusive and could help more people secure job offers as it takes away job interview nerves."

The AI tool is now being licensed beyond care, including to sectors facing chronic vacancies — showing how AI can expand access to employment when applied responsibly.

Addressing Workforce Shortages in Care

The UK's adult social care sector faces major workforce shortages, with over 110,000 current vacancies, and with almost half a million more workers needed by 2040, to meet  rising demand from an ageing population. At the same time, an estimated 2 million adults in England are living with unmet care needs. Cera says technology must be part of the solution to expanding — not shrinking — the workforce.

Cera is Europe's largest HealthTech company, delivering around 2.5 million home care visits per month through its 10,000-strong workforce.

Dr Ben Maruthappu MBE, Founder & CEO of Cera, said:

"There is a view that AI will displace people's jobs, but at Cera we're using AI to recruit more people faster, not replace them.  We're harnessing AI to create opportunity, rebuild lives, boost productivity and growth, and strengthen the workforce in essential sectors such as health & care. 

“The real question shouldn't be whether we use AI — it should be how we use it to widen opportunity. At Cera, not only are we using technology to deliver more preventative care at home, we're also using it to empower a diverse new generation of workers with AI literacy skills.” 

Cera will also invest approximately £3.6 million in paid training hours for existing and new staff over 2026 with a comprehensive digital and AI skills and literacy programme. Training includes practical use of the Cera Carers AI App for real-time reporting — embedding innovation into everyday frontline care.

Alongside recruitment, the company has developed AI tools that:

• Predict and prevent hospitalisations

• Reduce falls in patients by 20%

• Automate staff cover coordination

• Improve workforce retention

All AI tools and agents are designed to free carers from repetitive admin so they can focus on patient care and improving outcomes.

Cera launched its Back to Work programme in October 2024, creating thousands of jobs in care for the long-term unemployed, economically inactive and NEETs. Since launching the programme, 34% of new hires to Cera were previously unemployed, with more than 16% joining the company from a longer period of economic inactivity. More than twice the industry average live with a disability, reflecting Cera's commitment to helping people overcome barriers to work.

As well as digital skills, Cera arms new recruits with comprehensive support to make coming back to work easier - from mental health and wellbeing support, to menopause care, and help and resources for employees who care for children or elderly relatives. The tech firm also offers mobility schemes to help people travel for work, offering them subsidised driving lessons, car insurance, or cycling and eBike schemes.

Marina Greenwood