85% of tech workers are willing to relocate for the right role

“CWJobs Confidence Index” report

Based on a study of 1,500 UK workers and decision makers in tech, the report reveals the degree to which employees have faith in their industry.

To download the free PDF report, click/tap the button below:

The report at a Glance

• More than four in five (85%) respondents would consider relocating for the right job
• 16-24-year-olds are most likely to move, with 95% revealing they would consider relocating, compared to 65% if over 55s
• IT decision makers are more prepared to move for the right job (87%), ahead of other IT professionals (84%)
• 79% of respondents would be most confident in finding a job in London, dropping to 72% for the future
• 37% of IT professionals would be most confident in finding a tech role in Manchester, dropping to 35% in the future
• 19% of IT workers would be most confident in finding a tech role in Birmingham, dropping slightly to 18% in the future

Key takeaways from the report

The UK tech industry encompasses a variety of roles that cover a range of subsectors from finance and education to healthcare and human resources. With the industry’s current skills shortage, qualified jobseekers are at a position of strength to have their pick of the best tech roles.

CWJobs’ Confidence Index reveals that almost nine and ten (85%) IT workers would consider relocating for the right job. The report, which surveyed 1,500 IT professionals also found that almost four in ten (39%) workers would ‘definitely’ consider relocating if the right job presented itself.

Unsurprisingly, 16-24-year olds with less ties are the most likely to consider moving (95%), compared to six out of ten over 55’s (65%). And IT decision makers are more prepared to move for the right job (87%), ahead of other IT professionals (84%).

When it comes to relocating in today’s tech industry, 79% of IT professionals say they’d be most confident finding a suitable job in London, ahead of Manchester (37%) and Birmingham (19%). Interestingly, CWJobs has previously shortlisted each of these cities as being the best for technology jobs in the UK.

Looking to the future, the survey reveals that London is expected to continue to offer the most opportunities, despite confidence dropping slightly to 72%. Manchester (35%) and Birmingham (18%) look set to retain their positions as the second and third most popular cities, albeit with a slight decline in confidence.

These reductions are due to increased optimism from IT professionals in other UK cities, with Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool all showing as offering good prospects in the future.

The top 3 UK cities for technology jobs

Let’s take a closer look at what the top three cities have to offer tech workers:

London

England’s capital city is one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world, making it a hotbed for technology jobs. In a recent CWJobs article, we cited a statistic from Tech Nation that states there are over 300,000 tech jobs in London and over 7,500 start-ups.

Our recent report on the Northern Powerhouse echoes these statistics, as we reported that 45% of IT decision makers would choose London as the city to launch their tech startup.

The city is also home to thirteen billion-dollar tech companies, including TransferWise, Deliveroo, BenevolentAI, Funding Circle and Blippar.

Browse our latest IT jobs in London.

Manchester

Manchester is one of the UK’s largest technology hubs, so it’s no surprise that it’s the second most popular city that IT professionals would consider relocating to. In our Northern Powerhouse report, it was named the most likely location for new offices, confirming its importance to the UK tech industry.

Manchester offers tech jobseekers with a balance of startups and established companies. Some of the city’s biggest tech subsectors include television, telecoms, biotech and ecommerce.

It’s also home to Media City, which houses companies like the BBC, ITV, and Ericsson. It has the largest number of digital jobs outside of London with a digital sector worth £2.9 billion to the local economy.

See our current IT jobs in Manchester.

Birmingham

According to TechNation, over 38,000 people work in technology in Birmingham. The city is home to over 6,000 tech companies that cover a range of subsectors, including Internet of Things, fintech, games development, medtech and cyber security.

It’s also home to Silicon Canal, a recent development that supports the tech community through meetups and other events. Likewise, Tech Birmingham helps companies recruit and retain tech talent and the city’s Tech Week hosts a range of technology events throughout October.

View out our latest IT jobs in Birmingham.