Three-quarters of Greater London's tech workers are expected to leave in the capital in the next three years, with Manchester seen as their most likely destination, according to CWJobs
Manchester is on course to be the next UK tech hub, as an influx of tech talent and IT workers is predicted in the next three years, according to new research from CWJobs.
Surveying 1,000 tech workers, Manchester emerged as the top choice outside of the capital (22%) to work in, with a fifth (20%) also revealing it’s the city they would choose to set up a tech business in the next three years, ahead of Birmingham (11%) and Edinburgh (8%).
In the same survey, 505 IT decision-makers also placed Manchester as the best location to set up a tech business, with over a quarter (27%) choosing the city.
Manchester UK tech hub
This influx of tech talent could be coming directly from the capital, with London potentially set to be hit with a mass exodus of IT workers. Three-quarters (75%) of London's tech workers revealed they are likely to relocate within the next three years. High house prices could be one of the main reasons its tech workers are set to be on the move. The cost of living is considered the largest factor (52%) for those likely to relocate, ahead of getting on the property ladder (32%) and facing too much travel (30%).
Rise in remote working
When it comes down to travel and commuting, more tech workers are looking outside of the already established London tech bubble and are calling for policies to work from anywhere they want.
In fact, even before the current situation with Covid-19, two-thirds (66%) of tech workers revealed they would accept a job that was based over two hours from where they lived if they could work remotely/flexibly, and half (49%) would take a pay cut to be allowed to work from home.
Therefore, companies — no matter the size or sector — are being urged to commit more to remote working policies to attract and keep talent, something that's been heard and put into action quickly in light of today's climate. Whilst this is seen to clearly benefit the employer, eight in 10 (80%) IT decision-makers believe remote working policies benefit both employees and employers by increasing productivity across the business.
Source : Information Age