Everyone keeps asking whether AI will kill consulting jobs. EY’s latest numbers say it depends on where you sit. The Big Four firm added nearly 10,000 people worldwide in its 2026 financial year, and EY hiring 2026 is tied closely to one thing: AI-related revenue jumped almost 50%.
Who is hiring, and where
EY’s workforce now stands at 415,000. Most of the growth came from its global entities, which include offshoring and delivery centers and added over 10,000 staff. The Americas went the other way, shrinking by roughly 4,500 people, or 5%.
Consulting alone added 9,000 jobs worldwide. That backs up what top firms keep saying: companies won’t just replace consultants with AI, they’ll need help rebuilding how they work.
The bet behind the numbers
Under its “All-In” strategy, global CEO Janet Truncale has pushed billions into reshaping the firm. That Big Four AI strategy looks like it’s working. AI-related sales grew almost 50%, up from 30% the year before. Truncale says clients have moved past experiments and are redesigning their operations.
EY also spent $448 million on training, since its own people have to learn the tools it sells.
The wider financial picture
Total revenue rose 4.7% to $57 billion.
Here’s how the service lines did:
- EY-Parthenon: up 7.4% to $6.8 billion, the fastest growth, helped by a deal market rebound
- Tax: up 6% to $13.8 billion
- Consulting: up 4.4% to $17.4 billion
- Assurance: up 3% to $18.9 billion
This was also the first full year after EY merged 18 regions into 10, aiming for faster decisions and better service.
Not everyone is smiling
Deloitte’s revenue grew 3.8% to $74.5 billion, slower than the year before, and its tech and transformation arm slowed to 2.5%. Accenture shares are down 26.7% this year on fears that AI will erode the old consulting model, though its latest results lifted hopes. It signed 400-plus clients for their first “advanced AI” work and grew revenue 5%.
What it means for AI consulting services
Multi-year transformation projects are replacing one-off advice. AI consulting services also open doors in audit, tax and deal valuation. The pressure hasn’t gone away, since time-based pricing is under strain and junior talent has fewer routine tasks to learn on. According to devs.com.pt, the question of who builds the AI skills pipeline matters well beyond consulting. For more on how this plays out across the industry, keep an eye on digital news trends.
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