The wider technology market is cautious, but security is not. Against a subdued economic backdrop, businesses held back on hiring through 2025, yet clear demand hotspots remain for specialist skills including AI, data, enterprise applications and cyber security Computer Weekly's tech recruitment outlook for 2026. Post-quantum migration sits squarely inside that cyber hotspot: the work of replacing today's encryption with algorithms that can resist future quantum computers needs deep, scarce expertise.
The scale of the sector shows why this matters. The UK now has 107,082 digital and technology companies, representing 5.2% of all companies in the country GOV.UK's Digital and Technologies sector economic statistics. Demand is also concentrated. London accounts for 80% of AI-related job postings and nearly two-thirds of all technology vacancies in the UK The Register, reporting Accenture data. Recent official figures back the resilience of specialist demand too: the largest volume increase in vacancies from August to October 2025 came in professional, scientific and technical activities, up by 5,000 the ONS vacancies bulletin for November 2025.
Cyber security is where the pressure lands. There are roughly 143,000 individuals in the UK cyber security workforce, with growth moderately accelerating from 2% in 2022 to 5% in 2024 GOV.UK's cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2025. That growth is real, but it is not fast enough for the specialist demand post-quantum work creates. And the roles are genuinely hard to fill: 70% of cyber firms reported at least one hard-to-fill vacancy the AI Labour Market Survey 2025.
The contrast at the entry level is stark. The UK tech sector cut graduate jobs by 46% in the past year, with a further 53% drop projected The Register, citing the Institute of Student Employers. Adzuna has seen a 30% fall in UK entry-level job postings since ChatGPT launched, leaving graduates facing the toughest market since 2018 techUK's analysis of entry-level and graduate jobs. So the pipeline for future cryptography and security engineers is narrowing at exactly the moment demand for senior specialists is rising.
Security-adjacent sectors add to the pull. The defence sector continued to grow as an employer, with surveyed recruitment up 17.8% in 2022 GOV.UK's defence sector economic contribution release, and MOD expenditure supported 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an 11% rise on the previous year GOV.UK's MOD supported employment estimates. Much of that work depends on secure systems, so the competition for cryptography-literate people reaches well beyond pure tech firms.
Start by being precise about the scarce skills you actually need. Post-quantum migration is specialist work, and specialist demand is where the market is hottest. Write for the specific capability, whether that is cryptographic engineering, key management or migration planning, rather than a generic security job description. That precision helps you attract the small pool of people who can do the work.
Widen your routes in. Apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 the DSIT AI Labour Market Survey 2025, which shows employers building talent rather than only buying it. For engineering roles, the vast majority of new hires already come from the resident labour force, indicating low reliance on international recruitment GOV.UK's professionals in IT and engineering review. Combining resident hiring with apprenticeships and training is a practical way to rebuild the pipeline the graduate slowdown is thinning.
Then move quickly. With 70% of cyber firms reporting hard-to-fill vacancies the same AI Labour Market Survey 2025, slow processes lose strong people. Shortlist fast, book interviews early and keep the person informed at every step. Speed and clarity are your advantage in a market this competitive.
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