Young workers increasingly drive science and tech sector growth – Employment Hero

There 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.