Tech jobs in the UK have surpassed pre-pandemic levels

• London has maintained its dominance in the local tech jobs market
• New research reveals that the city’s tech jobs are up 121%, with the labor market share rising 3.1 points to 47.6%
• The UK Digital Economy Council recently declared that Cambridge is the leading regional tech centre, followed by Manchester and Oxford

Tech jobs in England and Wales have reached record levels in 2021, according to a new report by Robert Walters and Vacancysoft.

The report further found that there are 12,800 new vacancies for tech professionals in 2021, which is a rise of 105% year-on-year and 57.3% more compared to the previous annual high set in 2018.

Tech trends in 2021

Digital workplaces, online learning, telehealth, contactless convenience, and AI-generated content are just some of the tech trends seen in 2021. 

Many believe that a defining component of 2022 will be how to apply Web3 to the mainstream, a task that will preoccupy the industry. 

According to the Financial Times Web3, the first uses of which were applied with decentralized finance (defi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is “a technology in search of a breakthrough application.”

More money flowing into UK tech jobs

More money than ever is flowing into UK tech. The combined value of UK tech companies founded in 2000 is now £540 billion, after the most significant year-on-year increase since 2013/14. 

According to Tom Chambers, Associate Director at Robert Walters, the sector raised £29.4 billion in 2021, up from £11.5 billion in 2020. “More money means more job opportunities – and not just in London. Although it’s the capital where most investment activity is focused, nearly £9 billion went to startups and scaleups outside London and the South East,” he added.

“The data reflects how demand for innovative tech and digital infrastructure from UK consumers and business soared in 2021 as restrictions still kept people mainly at home and working remotely. It’s no coincidence that in the first week of 2022, Apple announced it became the world’s first US$3 trillion company,” said James Chaplin, CEO, Vacancysoft.

“Tech companies in the UK will expect sales, investment and headcount to grow this year. But it looks unlikely this unprecedented growth in new jobs can be maintained — especially if the industry’s call for the government to provide greater support for research and development, better training, and improved access to talent goes unheeded,” Chaplin added.

London maintaining dominance in tech jobs

London has maintained its dominance in the tech job market, with new research revealing that the city’s tech jobs are up 121%, while the labor market share has risen 3.1 points to 47.6%.

The South is the second-largest regional area for IT vacancies. It experienced a 95% year-on-year increase and account for 26% of all IT roles. Meanwhile, there is an even sharper increase in Wales, with hiring levels up 121.8% year on year.

The UK Digital Economy Council recently declared Cambridge is the leading regional tech center, followed by Manchester and Oxford. Technology companies accounted for 53.8%, up 3.5 % year-on-year and nearly 10 points higher than 2018 of all new IT vacancies in England & Wales.

It also revealed that software development and engineering specialists were the most sought after in England and Wales. 

Recruitment levels for software development and engineering specialists are up 88.2%. Roles in IT support grew the fastest, by a whopping 151.5% while hiring levels for IT security experts experienced the smallest growth (70% year-on-year).