Brexit concerns have failed to stall the demand in IT professionals, with the number of jobs for IT professionals rising by 15% across the UK in July.
Despite concerns that the UK’s decision to leave the EU might result in employers freezing hiring, demand for IT pros saw a significant uptick in July following the referendum. The 15% rise in July when compared to June, taken from the Robert Walters UK Jobs Index, may have benefitted from the strong community of start-up businesses in tech hubs around the country.
Ahsan Iqbal, Associate Director at Robert Walters, said: “In several major UK cities, particularly Birmingham and Manchester small tech start-ups have been responsible for driving demand for IT professionals for some time.”
“While larger international firms are somewhat more hesitant to hire due to the potential impacts of Brexit, smaller and more agile employers are less likely to be affected and are keen to continue bringing top talent on board.”
“In particular, web designers and engineers, as well as developers with a background in digital and e-commerce are highly sought after.”
Cyber security is also thought to have played a key role in the uptick in IT job demand, with large multinational companies looking to source professionals specifically for cyber security roles.
“With several major companies suffering high-profile data breaches in 2015 employers are continuing to make hiring top cyber security professionals a priority.” Said Iqbal.
“This provides these professionals with a degree of protection from the impact that economic uncertainty is having on other sectors.”
“Cyber Security specialists who can demonstrate the ability to manage large scale projects, as well as technical knowledge of IT Infrastructure and Architecture are particularly sought after.”
