Tech companies push ahead in UK job creation
UK TECHNOLOGY companies have outpaced the rest of the private sector as a whole in terms of job creation for the past 10 years, according to a report out today from KPMG and Markit.
The Tech Monitor UK report reveals that the number of jobs in the technology sector grew by 4.3 per cent in the first half of 2013, compared with just 0.9 per cent growth in the private sector as a whole.
It also says that UK technology firms are looking to increase employment strongly over the next year, with growth expectations that far outstrip the rest of the private sector.
“In terms of business outlook and confidence, we can take heart that tech companies in the UK are bullish about the next 12 months. Optimism is at one of the highest levels since data was first recorded in late 2009 and also continues the trend that tech companies are consistently more upbeat regarding hiring intentions than other UK sectors,” said KPMG head of technology Tudor Aw.
The highest concentration of technology jobs in the UK are in Wokingham, which outstrips the rest of the UK with five times the number of technology jobs, due to companies like Sage and Microsoft having UK campuses there.
Twenty-one of London’s 33 local authorities have a higher proportion of tech jobs than the UK average, with Richmond upon Thames reporting the highest concentration of technology workers.
“Perhaps not surprisingly, our report identifies the South East as the key region for technology clusters with the top 10 tech clusters being close to the M4, M3 or M25 motorways – all providing easy access to Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport.
“The findings of our report clearly highlight the link between investing in transport infrastructure and attracting businesses and therefore driving growth in the UK economy,” added Aw.