1) Non-UK nationals working in digital tech
Key findings
Part 1 of a 4 part insights series on UK tech talent. The nationality of workers in the UK’s digital tech industries
1) Non-UK nationals working in digital tech
The digital tech sector has a higher proportion of non-UK nationals working in it, at 13% compared to the rest of the UK economy, at 10%.
Share of employment by nationality in non-digital 2015
| Nationality | Share of employment |
| Rest of EU | 6% |
| UK | 90% |
| Non-EU | 4% |
Share of employment by nationality in digital tech 2015
| Nationality | Share of employment |
| Rest of EU | 6% |
| UK | 87% |
| Non-EU | 7% |
2) Non-UK nationals are better educated than their UK counterparts
Non-UK nationals are better educated than their UK counterparts, they have a higher share of Master’s and PhD qualifications. Non-EU workers at 17.6%, the rest of EU at 12.5% and the UK at 10.5%.
| Nationality | Proportion of workforce with Master’s degree or PhD |
| Rest of EU | 12.5% |
| Non-EU | 17.6% |
| UK | 10.5% |
3) EU and non-EU digital tech workers in London
London has the highest share of the digital tech workforce comprised of EU and non-EU workers, at 31%.
| Region | Rest of EU | Non-EU | UK |
| All other regions | 3% | 3% | 94% |
| East Midlands | 4% | 3% | 93% |
| Scotland | 5% | 5% | 90% |
| West Midlands | 2% | 3% | 95% |
| North West | 2% | 4% | 94% |
| South West | 2% | 3% | 95% |
| East of England | 5% | 4% | 91% |
| London | 11% | 20% | 69% |
| South East | 5% | 7% | 88% |
4) Employment for EU nationals
Non-EU workers make up a larger share of employment in digital tech than EU workers – however, employment for EU nationals has grown faster than non-EU nationals from 4% to 6% between 2011 – 2015
| Year | Rest of EU | Non-EU | UK |
| 2015 | 6% | 7% | 87% |
| 2014 | 5% | 7% | 88% |
| 2013 | 5% | 7% | 88% |
| 2012 | 5% | 8% | 87% |
| 2011 | 4% | 7% | 89% |