Tech companies ramp up hiring as London moves past lockdown
Tech companies in the UK’s capital have accelerated their hiring plans over the summer as businesses get ready to go back to work, with digital roles jumping by more than a third.
Advertising for vacancies in the digital tech sector rose 36 per cent in the last two months, according to data collated by Tech Nation for the government’s Digital Economy Council.
Technology companies now employ around a fifth of all Londoners at almost 3m people, thanks to major expansions in the city by the likes of Apple, Amazon and Google. Meanwhile digital tech roles account for nine per cent of the UK’s overall workforce.
“These new figures demonstrate the strength and depth of our tech sector as an engine of job creation kickstarting our economy as we emerge from the pandemic,” said digital secretary Oliver Dowden.
Though tech hiring dropped from its January high of 150,000 jobs per week during lockdown, adverts on jobs website Adzuna have now recovered to surpass 90,000 per week by the start of August.
The average salary for a digital tech role in London reached £55,000 last year, as 658,275 roles were advertised in total. This is compared to the median salary for other jobs in the capital at £43,000.
Meanwhile tech funding in the UK has continued to rise, with the total amount of venture capital invested in 2020 reaching £7.5bn so far — £4bn of which was raised in London.
This compares to €4bn in Germany, and €3.1bn in France.
Software developers have remained in the top five most sought-after roles in the UK, alongside key worker roles such as nurses and social care workers.
In London front-end developers were among the top 10, with hiring for tech roles such as Python developer and DevOps engineer rising 15 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
There was also an increased growth in opportunities for employees with expertise in data ethics, jumping 31 per cent year-on-year.
“While the city has had a challenging six months it is ready to bounce back strongly, with the tech sector taking an early lead in having the confidence to take on new people,” said Janet Coyle, managing director of business at London & Partners.
“It is important that the tech sector continues to drive greater inclusivity and diversity to ensure opportunities are available for everyone.”