EY said it added nearly 10,000 jobs worldwide in its 2026 financial year as demand for AI-related services surged, underscoring how the technology is reshaping the professional‑services industry. The firm reported AI-driven revenues rose almost 50% year over year while overall global revenue increased 4.7% to $57 billion.
The rise in head count brought EY’s total workforce to about 415,000. Much of the increase occurred in a group the company calls its global entities — also described as its global delivery services and offshoring centres — which the firm said added more than 10,000 staff. At the same time, EY said its Americas division saw a decline of roughly 4,500 people, or about 5%.
EY has pursued an “All‑In” strategy under global chair and CEO Janet Truncale, investing heavily in AI to transform its operating model and the services it offers clients. In a press release, Truncale framed the shift as more than experimentation: “The rise in demand for AI‑related services reflects that businesses have moved beyond experimentation and are now redesigning how they operate,” she said.
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EY’s FY2026 results show gains across several service lines. Tax revenue rose 6% to $13.8 billion, consulting revenue grew 4.4% to $17.4 billion, and assurance revenue increased 3% to $18.9 billion. EY‑Parthenon, the firm’s strategy and transactions arm, was the fastest‑growing line, with revenue up 7.4% to $6.8 billion after two years of much slower growth.
The results cover the first full financial year following EY’s consolidation of 18 geographic regions into 10, a structural change the firm said is intended to improve collaboration, speed and client service across its international network. EY also reported it invested $448 million in training and development during the year as it builds internal capacity for AI and other new capabilities.
AI opportunities and industry context
AI’s rapid adoption has unsettled traditional billing and staffing models in professional services, placing pressure on time‑based pricing and raising questions about how junior employees will gain experience as routine tasks become automated. Still, firms’ leaders have argued the technology creates consulting demand — companies need help implementing AI, reworking processes and redefining roles.
EY said it added about 9,000 roles within its consulting division globally, reflecting a shift toward multi‑year transformation projects and new advisory work tied to AI, auditing, tax and deal valuations. The company presented the surge in AI‑related sales — up from a roughly 30% rise the prior year — as evidence that its strategy is gaining traction.
Results across the industry have been mixed. Deloitte reported in September that its global revenue rose 3.8% to $74.5 billion, a slowdown from the prior year, and said its technology and transformation arm grew 2.5% compared with 4.7% the year before. Accenture, meanwhile, has faced investor concern in 2026: its shares have fallen, even as the company said it added more than 400 clients undertaking their first “advanced AI” work and attributed a 5% rise in annual revenue to AI‑driven reinventions.
EY’s figures illustrate how AI can coincide with job growth in some parts of a large professional‑services firm while other regions or functions shrink, and how firms are balancing investments in client offerings with training and internal restructuring. The company presented the FY2026 results as a first full year under its streamlined regional structure and an early payoff from its AI investments.
