UK tech sector still attracting high-skilled migrants despite Brexit uncertainty

WILL BRITAIN TECH BREXIT IN ITS STRIDE? UK TECHNOLOGY SECTOR STILL ATTRACTING HIGH-SKILLED GLOBAL MIGRANTS

• Britain’s technology sector continues to attract foreign-based workers – who account for one in 10 tech jobseekers
• Interest is strongest among people from non-EU countries, who dominate enquiries about high-skilled jobs
• EU jobseekers – whose access to the UK may be curtailed by post-Brexit visa rules – maintain high interest in lower-paid skilled roles

Brexit uncertainty has so far barely dented the UK’s ability to attract high-skilled tech professionals from abroad, according to new analysis by the world’s largest job site Indeed.

One in 10 enquiries about currently available British tech jobs comes from jobseekers outside the UK, the figures reveal. Tech-related roles are especially popular among non-EU jobseekers, and three of the four most in-demand UK jobs among high-skilled global jobseekers are in technology.

The four tech roles in the 10 most popular jobs being sought by skilled non-EU workers – SAP consultant, iOS developer, Android developer and Java developer – pay an average salary of almost £52,000. For all four, India accounts for more candidates than any other country.

India’s emergence as an IT superpower has produced large numbers of highly-skilled tech professionals, on whom Britain’s booming, £184bn tech sector has become increasingly reliant. Indeed’s data reveals that a fifth of Indian jobseekers enquiring about UK jobs during the first nine months of 2018 were interested in tech jobs.

Meanwhile, jobseekers from the EU remain predominantly interested in skilled but lower paid roles in the UK, such as language teaching, international sales and translator jobs.

Current UK work visa guidelines indicate that an annual salary of £30,000 or more is often required for non-EU citizens to secure approval to work in Britain, which may explain why highly-paid, high-skilled roles are the most popular among global jobseekers looking for work in the UK. 

The government’s pledge to extend the same visa rules to EU citizens post-Brexit could mean many Europeans fall foul of the eligibility criteria, as several of the roles most popular among EU citizens pay less than the £30,000 threshold. This raises the prospect of skilled Europeans eschewing a post-Brexit UK in favour of EU economies where they can work more easily, such as Ireland or Germany.

Pawel Adrjan, economist at global job site Indeed, comments:

“Britain’s tech sector is a magnet for global talent. Its popularity among non-EU jobseekers could provide a valuable Brexit hedge, as the ability of non-Europeans to apply for work in Britain will be unaffected by the UK’s departure from the EU. That will provide some reassurance for Britain’s tech employers.

“However, the government’s plan to level the playing field for EU and non-EU workers seeking to come the UK after Brexit may interrupt the supply of Europeans looking for skilled but lower-paid jobs.

“A shortfall in European applicants for entry-level but specialist roles, especially language-based positions, is unlikely to be able to be filled by British applicants, with language learning in the UK continuing to decline.

“While initially problematic, this may result in significant pay rises in these sectors to enable European workers to meet any future salary threshold and remain eligible for a working visa.”