Top 75 Trainees 2026: largest firms cut training contracts by 2.8%

15 Oct 2026

In this month’s exclusive Top 75 Trainees Survey, PwC regains top spot as largest training firm but future of contracts under pressure as Big Four retrench and mid-tier review investment. Philip Smith and Sara White analyse the trends, training prospects and future risks as AI and automation threatens to replace entry level jobs

The UK accountancy profession’s long-running expansion in trainee numbers has virtually stalled, with Business & Accountancy Daily’s Top 75 Trainees Survey 2026 showing only a very slight rise in the overall trainee population and a growing divergence between the largest firms and the rest of the market.

After a period of steady growth, the total number of trainees across the Top 75 has edged up only 1.1%, from 26,778 in 2024 to 27,061 in 2025, a minimal increase taking into account the sector grew 5% in terms of fee income revenue to £24.1bn over the same financial period.

But it is the top 10 firms where the contraction is clearest, with an average decline of 2.8% in total trainee numbers.