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Core IT positions accounted for an increased share of Q2 job postings even as COVID-19 impacted employers’ hiring plans

London – UK employers continued their search for workers to fill critical information technology (IT) roles even as unexpected changes in business conditions took hold during Q2, a new report from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the global technology industry, finds.

The total number of employer job postings for core IT positions was slightly more than 125,000 in Q2, a decline from Q1, according to CompTIA’s analysis of data from Burning Glass Technologies Labour Insights.

But IT positions accounted for a higher percentage of all UK job postings for the quarter – 12% in Q2, up from 10% in Q1.

“Virtually every segment of the labour market, including technology professions, was negatively impacted as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in full force,” said Graham Hunter, CompTIA’s vice president for skills certification in EMEA. “But the critical role technology professionals hold within our economy was reinforced as they provided cybersecurity and connectivity support for essential workers in healthcare and emergency services, as well as for the tens of millions of citizens who suddenly became remote workers and distance learners.”

Programmers and software developers were the most sought-after positions employers were looking to hire in Q2, with 52,915 job postings. Other in-demand positions included IT business analysts, architects and systems designers (19,075), web design and development professionals (11,692), IT and telecommunications professionals (11,386), and IT user support technicians (10,413).

“These job roles align closely with the way companies have changed the way they are doing business as a result of the pandemic,” said Amy Carrado, senior director for research and market intelligence at CompTIA. “This includes a greater reliance on cloud-based applications and services; creating a robust online presence to stay connected to customers and partners as  physical locations were closed; and turning to virtual meetings when in-person gatherings were not possible.”

There has been a notable increase in employers advertising for remote IT work opportunities. Close to one in five (more than 24,000) IT job postings cited remote or work from home options in Q2. That represented a 25% increase over Q1.

Not every job posting results in a new hire. Companies may change their hiring plans or promote from within to fill an opening. They may also post multiple times for the same job. But job posting information can signal where companies intend to invest in technology.

The CompTIA UK IT Employment Snapshot for Q2 is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/comptia-uk-it-employment-snapshot-2020-q2.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5.2 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 (630) 678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org­