HSBC is planning to create 1,000 entry-level roles in the UK over the next year as the bank targets Gen Z workers.

Around a third of all hires the UK bank has made this year have been aged 18 to 24.

The new entry-level positions will comprise of apprenticeships, graduate programmes and internships across 2026 and 2027.

It is also offering 500 one-week in-person work experience placements designed to give secondary school students earlier exposure to the workplace.

The hiring drive is being led by the UK bank and will see the majority of opportunities focused in regions outside of London.

It comes as the wider global bank is undergoing an ovehaul led by chief executive Georges Elhedery, who targeted 1.5 billion US dollars (£1.1 billion) worth of cost reductions.

Earlier this year, Mr Elhedery said a large amount of the savings had come from eliminating duplicate jobs within the group, particularly among the more senior ranks, resulting in a net 15% reduction of managing director positions.

HSBC’s annual report revealed that it had paid out 67.5 million US dollars (£50.9 million) in severance payments to 134 senior bankers in 2025.

This amounted to about a tenth of its so-called material risk takers, who do jobs that can have a more significant impact on the financial performance of the bank.

Meanwhile, HSBC UK said its early-career workers can help it build a “high-performance culture” and “shape the future of banking”.

Chief executive of the UK bank, David Lindberg, said: “Investing in early-career talent is important for HSBC’s future as we build a high-performance culture with care.

“As the world of work changes, we are building the skills our customers and communities need.”

The bank said work experience students will particularly gain experience learning about digital technologies used across the bank and how artificial intelligence tools support people’s day-to-day work.

Recruitment for the 2027 entry-level roles will open from late September.