The picture is uneven, and that matters for anyone hiring security staff. The UK's digital and technology sector is large: the updated definition covers 107,082 companies, around 5.2% of all UK companies GOV.UK's Digital and Technologies sector statistics. That's a big base of employers competing for the same specialists.
Against a subdued 2025 backdrop, businesses have taken a cautious approach to hiring, but there are clear demand hotspots for specialist skills including AI, data, enterprise applications and cyber security Computer Weekly's tech recruitment outlook for 2026. So while the headline mood is careful, the demand for security talent hasn't gone away.
Wider vacancy data backs this up. In August to October 2025, the largest volume increase in vacancies came in professional, scientific and technical activities, up by 5,000 the ONS Vacancies and jobs bulletin for November 2025. The demand is real, but it sits alongside a much tighter market for people just starting out.
That squeeze at the entry point is stark. UK tech cut graduate jobs by 46% in the past year, with a further 53% drop projected figures from the Institute of Student Employers reported by The Register. Adzuna has seen a 30% drop in entry-level postings since ChatGPT launched, leaving graduates facing the toughest market since 2018 techUK's analysis of entry-level and graduate jobs.
SOC analysts, the people who monitor security operations centres and respond to threats, sit right at the sharp end of this gap. The UK cyber security workforce is roughly 143,000 people, with growth moderately accelerating from 2% in 2022 to 5% in 2024 GOV.UK's Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2025 report. Growth is picking up, but slowly, and demand is outpacing it.
The shortage shows in how hard these roles are to fill. Some 70% of cyber firms reported at least one hard-to-fill vacancy the AI Labour Market Survey 2025 comparison with cyber security skills data. When seven in ten employers struggle to staff their teams, every open SOC analyst role is a signal of unmet demand, not a routine backfill.
Two dynamics shape where these roles sit. First, location: London accounts for 80% of AI-related job postings and nearly two-thirds of all UK technology vacancies, as demand for AI skills rose nearly 200% in a year Accenture data reported by The Register. Security work clusters where the wider tech market clusters. Second, the pipeline is shifting: apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 the DSIT AI Labour Market Survey 2025, a sign employers are growing talent rather than only buying it.
Related technical roles feel the same pull. IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, some 193,000 workers, are in critical demand, with three of five indicators flagged critical in 2025 the Occupations in demand 2025 statistics. Security teams draw on this same pool, so the competition is broad.
Start by widening your definition of the right hire. With entry-level hiring falling faster than senior hiring, there's a gap opening up: in engineering, entry-level hiring sits at -19% against -10% for senior roles, a nine-point gap GOV.UK's snapshot of entry-level hiring. Cutting junior intake now creates the senior shortage of tomorrow, so protect your pipeline.
Build as well as buy. The rise of apprenticeships in AI hiring the DSIT AI Labour Market Survey 2025 shows employers training people into hard-to-fill roles rather than waiting for finished specialists. For SOC teams, structured on-the-job routes turn motivated newcomers into capable analysts, and they broaden your search well beyond the crowded senior market.
Look to the resident labour force first. For engineering professionals, the vast majority of new hires come from the resident labour force, showing low reliance on international recruitment GOV.UK's review of professionals in IT and engineering. Strong local sourcing and a fast, fair process often matter more than casting the widest possible net.
Finally, move quickly and think beyond London. With most vacancies concentrated in the capital Accenture data reported by The Register, employers who can hire remotely or regionally reach talent others miss. Speed and reach are the two levers that make the difference when 70% of firms are fighting over the same people.
This is where we come in. We search 15 million candidates and rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds, contact matched people in under a minute and book an interview in under three minutes, so you reach the right security talent while others are still writing the advert. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. Tell us about your open SOC role and see your first shortlist today.
