Interest in UK tech jobs wanes as top talent flocks to Europe
Desire among jobseekers to find work in the UK tech sector has declined over the last two years while other European countries have benefited from a surge in interest, new data has revealed.
Searches for jobs in Britain’s tech sector slipped three per cent between the first half of 2017 and the first half of 2019, according to figures from job site Indeed.
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In Belgium, searches for tech jobs soared 76 per cent over the same period, while Portugal and Sweden secured increases of 45 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.
Of the 11 European countries covered in the research, only the UK registered a fall in job searches.
Interest among American tech professionals in UK jobs has also declined in the last two years. Despite this, the UK remains the most popular EU country among US-based tech workers planning a move to Europe.
The waning interest comes despite a string of upbeat reports showing overseas investors are ploughing record sums of money into the UK’s tech sector.
Research released earlier this year by Innovate Finance and London & Partners revealed that London has now overtaken New York to become the world’s number one city for investment in fintech firms.
“Overall searches for UK tech jobs may have dipped but there is still much to shout about the sector,” said Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed.
“Britain remains a hotbed for tech innovation, with global investment still pouring in and the country remains a world leader for creating tech unicorns and attracting a high-skilled global workforce.”
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Richards added that the slowdown in job searches likely reflected ongoing uncertainty about post-Brexit Britain.
In addition, the research showed the growing interest in the UK tech sector among India-based jobseekers. More than a fifth of all UK job searches made by this demographic were for tech jobs.