The 2021 ‘Technology Year in Review’ report from recruitment group Robert Walters has revealed that tech roles in the UK have surpassed pre-pandemic levels
The number of tech roles in England and Wales surged by 105% year-on year, reaching record levels in 2021, according to the research, which was carried out in partnership with Vacancysoft.
Tech firms were found to have published more IT vacancies in the last year than all British businesses combined in 2020.
Vacancies by company
The top organisations for professional tech roles in the past year were found to be JPMorgan Chase & Co, Sky and Version 1.
Meanwhile, Amazon in the UK slipped from 2nd in 2020 to 4th in 2021, and rapid growth in this area was recorded by DXC Technology, CGI & Advanced.
| Company | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase | 1286 | 2666 |
| Sky | 909 | 2171 |
| Version 1 | 709 | 1987 |
| Amazon | 1210 | 1953 |
| Nationwide Business Society | 943 | 1834 |
| Barclays | 707 | 1444 |
| Citi | 560 | 1138 |
| BT | 439 | 943 |
| DXC Technology | 197 | 906 |
| NatWest Group | 318 | 870 |
| Oracle | 353 | 839 |
| Visa | 292 | 806 |
| Advanced | 153 | 803 |
| PWC | 236 | 787 |
| Vodafone | 196 | 682 |
| Ubisoft | 438 | 637 |
| CGI | 89 | 622 |
| Accenture | 177 | 614 |
| Santander | 188 | 603 |
| Wipro | 402 | 566 |
Figures courtesy of Robert Walters and Vacancysoft (2021)
Behind the figures
The continued ascendancy of JPMorgan Chase can largely be explained by its UK launch of the digital retail bank Chase in September 2021.
At 360% growth year-on-year, DXC Technology agreed a cloud native transformation contract with Lloyd’s of London and the International Underwriters Association (IUA).
Canada-based CGI, meanwhile, saw a 600% rise in UK tech roles, having announced it would increase investment in the region, with plans to create over 700 new jobs in 2022.
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“More money than ever is flowing into UK tech. The sector raised £29.4 billion in 2021, up from £11.5 billion in 2020. The combined value of UK tech companies founded since 2000 is now £540 billion, after the biggest year-on-year increase since 2013/14,” said Tom Chambers, associate director at Robert Walters.
“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.”
James Chaplin, CEO of Vacancysoft, commented: “The data reflects how demand for innovative tech and digital infrastructure from UK consumers and business soared in 2021 as restrictions still kept people largely at home and working remotely. It’s no coincidence that in the first week of 2022 Apple announced it became the world’s first $3 trillion company.
“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 R&D, better training and improved access to talent goes unheeded.”
