Job adverts for tech roles have plummeted in the UK over the past five years, with a 50% decline in tech job ads since 2019.
A report conducted by National Foundation for Educational Research and funded by The Hg Foundation found that the rate of decline was significantly faster than the wider economy, where there has been a 31% decline in adverts over the same period. The report links these trends to more tech roles being relocated overseas and the anticipated impact of AI.
The slowdown has been particularly acute for roles in areas like software development. Adverts for programmer jobs have fallen by almost 70% between 2019 and 2025, with a particular acceleration in the decline over the past two years. Looking beyond job adverts, the research shows fewer people were working as software developers in 2024 than in 2023, the first time there has been a fall since 2006.
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This downturn will have implications for the talent pipeline into tech roles, particularly for young people because entry-level roles have been particularly affected.
The report warns that over time, a reduction in junior recruitment could feed through into shortages of experienced workers able to progress into senior-level tech roles.
As a result of the trend, qualification barriers are on the rise, with a higher rate of tech jobs listing more qualification requirements since 2022.
The analysis is based on data from Adzuna, which captures 95% of UK job adverts.
NFER research director, Luke Bocock, said the figures were evidence of a “worrying shift” stemming from relentless competition from international markets and the emerging influence of AI.
“If left unaddressed, these trends could limit career opportunities for young people,” he said.
Roles in engineering (apart from software), science, and research had held up relatively well since 2022, Bocock added.
“If current trends continue, there will be some areas of growing demand for young people looking to enter the tech workforce, but there will be fewer opportunities overall.”
James Turner, chief executive of the Hg Foundation, added that it was more important than ever to understand exactly which parts of the tech sector will grow and what skills and experiences young people would be likely to need to access those jobs.
“It is crucial that those from underrepresented backgrounds aren’t left behind as this unfolds and it makes the work of those engaged in widening access to opportunities in the tech sector even more important,” Turner said.
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