Jessica O'ConnorThere has been a sharp rise in young people entering the UK’s science and technology sector, with Gen Z workers playing a key role in driving employment growth, data from Employment Hero revealed.
Analysis of payroll data from nearly 700 UK science and technology small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), covering more than 9,700 employees, found overall employment in the sector increased by 0.3% month-on-month and 6.3% year-on-year in March.
Among Gen Z workers, this growth rose significantly to 3% month-on-month and 14% year-on-year.
The findings come as the UK continues to prioritise science and technology as a strategic growth area, supported by long-term investment commitments.
Separate research indicated that 62% of business leaders are already creating new roles in response to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), suggesting that technological change is generating new entry-level opportunities rather than eliminating them.
The data also highlighted a shift in where growth is occurring.
While London remained a major global tech hub, supported by companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, employment growth is now being driven more strongly in other regions.
Employment in the sector fell by 0.3% year-on-year in Greater London, compared with growth of 11.5% in the North of England and 19.7% in the East of England.
Overall wages in the sector increased by 0.7% month-on-month, with Gen Z workers seeing a higher rise of 1.9%.
Kevin Fitzgerald, UK managing director at Employment Hero, said: “Supporting the growth of the UK’s science and technology sectors has been a long-term goal of successive governments, and the UK has become home to companies that demonstrate genuine sector leadership.
“Our data shows that the UK’s focus on science and technology is beginning to pay off, driving growth and providing young people access to new types of jobs.
“More broadly, this reflects how technology and AI are transforming the labour market, creating new opportunities and reshaping what employers look for in candidates.
“Amid a backdrop of chronic skills shortages and an ageing workforce, there is understandably strong competition for talent in this sector, demonstrated by the strong wage growth recorded last month.
“While this is good news for employees, we must be mindful that this may create competitive pressures for smaller businesses working in these industries.”
