UK tech firms lose £380,000 a year to skills shortage

UK tech companies say a persistent shortage of qualified workers is now costing them at least £380,000 annually. Around 40% report being forced to outsource work due to missing expertise, while failed projects and lost clients add to the bill. Nearly all firms have adopted some form of AI, but only 6% say their entire workforce is up to speed. Training and recruiting juniors are both needed, but leaders still lack a clear fix.

• Average annual loss per company is at least £380,000
• 40% had to outsource work due to missing skills
• Only 6% report workforce-wide AI literacy
• 85% hired the same or more junior tech staff
• Over half of leaders unsure how to close the gap