Liverpool joins UK quantum computing talent surge
Demand for technology professionals in Liverpool increased by 23% in 12 months, despite the technology jobs market showing signs of easing during the first half of 2022, according to the latest UK Tech Talent Tracker from Accenture.
The tracker, which analyses LinkedIn’s Professional Network data, found growth in job posts was driven by Liverpool’s increased demand for skills in cutting-edge technologies, such as robotics (up 119% year-on-year IN July) and blockchain (up 72%), as well as data analytics (up 14%). As these technologies evolve, demand for digital ethics professionals has also increased considerably (up 62%) while companies also seek to invest in cyber-security (up 41%).
Liverpool’s rate of growth in demand was only exceeded by Newcastle (up 85%), Brighton (up 40%) and Birmingham (up 25%) when compared to other UK cities. Nonetheless, the rapid rise in UK technology hiring has shown signs of easing, with open technology roles declining by 4% across the UK during the first half of 2022.
While the pool of UK technology professionals on LinkedIn grew during the pandemic from 730,000 in early 2020 to nearly 935,000 professionals in July 2022, the current availability of technology professionals continues to be outpaced by demand.
Andrew Finlayson, North West lead for Accenture, said, “While demand for technology skills has remained resilient across the UK over the course of a turbulent year, this research shows that in Liverpool companies are working hard to recruit the best talent to help transform their businesses, with the appointment of robotics and blockchain professionals. We are also seeing a particular uptick in demand for digital ethics and cyber security professionals. For the region as a whole, the growth of the Liverpool technology sector can only be a good thing, as it helps us to attract the best talent to the North West.”
Supercomputing Surge
The findings show the number of Liverpool-based quantum computing scientists on LinkedIn has doubled over the past year, reflecting a growing focus on quantum-related businesses and investment across the UK. In the first half of 2022, quantum computing was the only technology discipline to see significant growth in hiring UK-wide, with job vacancies increasing by more than 50%.
In Liverpool, while the number of quantum-related job vacancies in July 2022 ranked amongst the lowest in the country, its growth over the first half of 2022 was greater than the national average (up 414%), showing positive signs for the city as demand for these skills grows.
UK-wide demand for skills in metaverse-related technologies also rose. Extended reality job opportunities increased by 27% year-on-year, with nearly 25,000 roles advertised.
Andrew Finlayson added, “The UK has been an early leader in quantum computing and it’s a positive sign for Liverpool to be seeing strong growth in demand for these skills. The challenge will be for companies to work with government and education institutions to develop a world class technology workforce that can keep delivering innovation and growth in emerging areas like AI, cloud and edge computing, the metaverse and quantum.”
