Tech jobs spreading throughout UK, says recruiter

London still accounts for almost three quarters of IT jobs but Experis report suggests other cities are closing the gap

Almost three-quarters of tech jobs are still based in London, but IT roles are beginning to spread throughout the UK's regions, according to a report by IT recruitment specialist Experis.

Tech Cities Job Watch found that 28 per cent of tech jobs are based outside of London, with Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham Manchester and Glasgow cumulatively accounting for about a fifth of jobs.

In October, Nick Clegg unveiled TechNorth, a proposal which he hoped would emulate the success of Tech City in London across a cluster of five northern cities: Manchester; Sheffield; Leeds; Newcastle; and Liverpool.

The report, which surveyed 54,000 IT jobs in the UK between October and December 2014, claimed that London's Tech City model is moving out of the capital and is being adopted in other UK cities.

Geoff Smith, managing director of Experis Europe said he felt that the signs suggest IT jobs are beginning to rise across the UK's regions.

"There are strong indications to suggest that tech job opportunities are on the rise throughout the UK. We're seeing an increasing number of London-based companies establishing remote working centres to ensure their hunt for IT skills doesn't miss out on talent that sees more appeal in the quality of life outside the capital - this could be one of the factors driving this shift," he commented.

"And with the continued investment in rail and road infrastructure to better connect northern towns and cities, the future is looking bright for businesses that take the right steps to manage their talent pool."

The report found that London still offers the most competitive IT salaries, averaging £51,588 for permanent roles. This compares with other UK cities including Cambridge (£40,994), Birmingham (£39,733), and Glasgow (£39,143).