At a glance

The Northern data and tech market is entering a new stage of maturity. Demand remains strong, but priorities are shifting from building capability to deploying it.

According to Harnham’s Northern Data & Tech Market Update (Sept 2025), organisations across the region are now competing for professionals who can deliver value at speed.

This regional shift reflects a wider national trend. The UK’s AI sector grew rapidly in 2024, with revenues rising 68 % to £23.9 billion and AI-related employment increasing 33 % to 86,000 roles. These numbers reflect how AI and data capability are no longer future plans but active economic drivers. (Source: Gov.UK)

Over the following sections, we map where demand is strongest, what’s driving it, and how leading employers and skilled professionals in the North are adapting.

1. What’s Changing in the Northern Market

The Northern data market is shifting from experimentation to execution.
AI integration has moved from pilot projects to production, and cloud modernisation remains the backbone of transformation.

Harnham’s Northern Data & Tech Market Update reveals employers now prioritise hybrid profiles: data engineers fluent in cloud migration, analysts driving CRM personalisation, and data scientists capable of deploying models into production.

For employers, this means competition has moved upstream; two-stage processes are filling roles faster, and flexibility is becoming a key differentiator alongside salary.

For candidates, opportunity lies where technical skill meets delivery readiness: the ability to build, test, and operationalise insight at speed. Professionals who can connect data to business value are the ones commanding top-tier packages and long-term career security.

2. Cloud Stack by Company Size

Harnham’s market analysis shows a clear pattern in cloud adoption across Northern firms:

• Large enterprises → GCP. Favoured for data-heavy, AI/ML-driven projects leveraging BigQuery and Vertex AI.

• Mid-sized businesses → Azure. Chosen for legacy migration and integration with existing Microsoft ecosystems.

• Smaller companies → AWS. Still the most popular for flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency.

This split is shaping demand for data engineers experienced in migration and multi-cloud environments, particularly those who can maintain compliance and governance standards during rapid change.

3. CRM & Customer Analytics

CRM hiring is one of the fastest-growing areas in the North, especially across hospitality, retail, and financial services.

Harnham data shows a strong shift towards Braze, a platform overtaking Salesforce in new implementations due to lower cost and stronger engagement tools.

Harnham’s recent placements of Braze-focused CRM Managers in Staffordshire and Leicestershire point to a broader shift toward agile, campaign-led stacks. Alongside platform expertise, employers now prioritise SQL/Python, campaign analytics, and MMM/attribution to tie spend to outcomes.

4. AI’s Impact on Hiring: Software Meets Science

This shift towards production-ready AI talent is redefining the balance between data science and engineering teams.

Across the North, companies now want engineers who can deploy, not just develop. Skills in Kubernetes, containerisation, and CI/CD pipelines have become core to getting models from lab to live. 

The most valuable hires blend software architecture and applied ML, bridging the traditional gap between engineering and data science. Employers increasingly expect data scientists to own deployment and pipeline management, a capability now commanding £100k+ salaries.

5. Spotlight: The North East’s AI Growth Zone

The North East is fast becoming one of the UK’s most dynamic AI hubs. The forthcoming AI Growth Zone is set to create 5,000 new jobs and attract £30 billion in investment, connecting universities, AI firms, and government initiatives in a single innovation corridor.

For employers, it’s a chance to establish a presence in a region gaining national visibility for AI capability. For data professionals, it opens doors to applied research, product development, and start-up collaboration, all without relocating south.

Harnham’s analysis suggests this momentum will sustain demand over the next two years for AI engineers, MLOps specialists, and data governance experts as the region scales.

6. What’s Working in Hiring

Harnham’s Northern Data & Tech Market Update (Sept 2025) highlights three factors separating fast-moving employers from those losing ground:

1. Flexibility attracts talent
   Around one-third of Northern employers now offer four-day or compressed-week structures. Once experimental, these are now proven differentiators in both attraction and retention.
2. Speed secures hires
   Companies using two-stage interview processes achieve a 30% higher fill rate than those running three or more rounds. 
3. Clarity closes offers
   Demand for cross-functional data talent is rising, and employers who combine clear technical assessment with a fast, structured process are filling roles first.

7. What’s Next for Northern Data Hiring

The Northern market’s evolution reflects a wider UK trend: AI maturity now depends as much on people as on platforms.

For hiring leaders, that means focusing on speed, structure, and substance. Building recruitment processes that are efficient, transparent, and centred on long-term capability. Flexibility and learning culture are also fast becoming the deciding factors in attracting top data talent.

For professionals, adaptability is the new edge. Expanding skills in deployment, cloud, and communication will be key to thriving as AI becomes embedded in every data role.

As the global leader in Data & Analytics recruitment, Harnham continues to help organisations across the North build future-ready teams and to support professionals shaping the next chapter of data and AI.

Explore current roles and insights at harnham.com.

The post What’s Driving Northern UK’s Data & AI Hiring in 2025? appeared first on Harnham.

Despite economic uncertainty across the globe, several sectors are continuing to experience growth, which has led to a steady flow of employment opportunities for Data & Analytics professionals. This is particularly for contract roles that require niche expertise and skills to complete specific, short-term projects.

Which sectors have been experiencing an upward trajectory? Here’s a look at five industries across the globe that are seeing sustained growth and consequent demand for specialist contract talent:

1. Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is a key growth sector that is powering demand for contract work for Data & Analytics professionals. ChatGPT, GPT-4, and Chatbots are written about in the media on a daily basis, and behind the scenes, our specialist recruitment consultants are busy sourcing Machine Learning (ML) engineers who can work in various programming languages and data models for our clients.
2. Information Technology: with remote and hybrid working setups firmly in place, businesses are more reliant than ever on Information Technology and the specialists behind it. Tech roles are in growing demand at software and hardware companies, as well as internet and related service providers and app development.
3. Cyber Security: barely a day goes by without news of a cyber security breach at organisations of all sizes. This is fuelling a growing demand for Cyber Security professionals to support businesses as they try to defend themselves against the evolving threat of ever more sophisticated scams and hackers.
4. Telehealth Services: the Telehealth sector distributes health-related services and information using digital information and equipment, such as remote patient/doctor contact, and long-distance monitoring, advice, and intervention.
5. Green Manufacturing: as international governments work to reduce their nation’s impact on the environment, including the UK’s net zero strategy and energy revolution, the Green Manufacturing and Energy sectors in are experiencing sustained growth. Ongoing investment is on the cards, leading to many thousands of jobs over the coming years to fuel progress.

In reality, there are many more growing sectors with Data & Analytics gaps to fill. The final Tech Nation report, published in March, shares that after an ‘explosive’ decade, the UK’s tech ecosystem is valued at more than $1 trillion and expected to hit $2.6 trillion in the next decade, or higher if the conditions are right.

For this to be possible the report states that, among other factors: “capital and talent must continue to be efficiently recycled through the ecosystem to create additional value”.

The demand for Data & Analytics professionals for permanent and contract-based roles, across global markets is showing no signs of slowing down. The only stumbling block is finding the sector and project that ticks all the boxes. Harnham’s consultants are highly experienced at matching the right people with the right businesses and helping to place talent at all levels on a part-time and full-time basis, depending on the needs of the organisation.

Interested in hiring a data contractor for an upcoming project or expanding your team with a permanent data professional? Our expert team knows the market inside out, and how to reach the best talent out there, get in touch today.

The post The Fastest Growing Sectors for Contract Work appeared first on Harnham.

In other words, it’s important to have expertise on tap, without being over-resourced with more employees than work to do. Businesses ultimately want to build a team of flexible and skilled individuals whilst also always having workers available for more general tasks.

When should a business hire a permanent employee, and when does it make sense to bring in a contractor?

What suits one organisation won’t necessarily work for another, and a business’s needs can change over time for a plethora of reasons – such as the types of projects on the go, budget restraints, and time scales. There are HR, technical, and financial implications on both sides for employees to consider, so which is the right choice for your business?

Here’s a look at what to consider when debating between hiring a permanent versus contract employee.

Putting more in to get more back

Permanent employees are no doubt a larger investment for a business. Outside of salaries, there are numerous associated costs such as benefits, training, and support for career development. But as result, permanent employees tend to be invested in the growth and success of your company as well as ‘bought into’ your business values. This can translate to employees who are more likely to go above and beyond when completing their tasks. 

In contrast, contractors require far less of an investment in terms of time and resources. An example is the minimal amount of management required, as contractors are often experts in their field and will only need a brief outline before completing a task with minimal supervision. But because of this, and the nature of the work, contractors can arguably be less invested in your businesses’ goals and mission and therefore may not be motivated to prioritise your work if they are doing several different jobs at the same time.

Long-term solution or quick win?

Organisations that are willing, and in a financial position, to invest in permanent employees will benefit from the building of a core group of very experienced professionals who are loyal and this is conducive to long-term growth and progress. However, if specialist skills are required and the resources are not available in-house, then companies may be better off outsourcing tasks – an option helpful for tight budgets and quick problem-solving.

Additionally, if an employer wants a candidate in position quickly – to fill the gap of a staff member leaving or for an urgent project – contractors are far more readily available than their permanent counterparts, due to the lack of, or shorter, notice periods. Contracts can be as short or as long as is needed and can be easily extended at short notice.

However, the nature of contracting means that a particularly excellent candidate might not be available the next time you need them, so you may decide that you are better off bringing those resources in-house full-time.

Expertise demands

The choice between a permanent versus contract employee will also depend on the type of experience that an organisation requires. If a company is looking to expand its offering, by enhancing in-house expertise or adding another string to its bow, investing in a highly skilled permanent employee who has built years of experience and is committed to the growth of the company, is likely to better fit the bill.

However, for a very specific or niche project, employing a permanent staff member might not be appropriate or make financial sense. Contractors tend to have a very precise set of skills, such as being highly adaptable as a result of working in numerous scenarios, navigating pressures, and needing to make an immediate impact.

Whilst contractors have been adding varied experiences to their portfolio, permanent employees may have been busy building skills from being with an organisation throughout several yearly cycles of work and encountering seasonal trends. Don’t forget there are plenty of financial factors to weigh up as well, such as expensive day rates and navigating the revolving door of IR35 rules, versus expensive employee benefits and complex PAYE systems.

Ultimately, the decision between a permanent versus contract employee will likely depend on whether your business has clients and workloads that change drastically on a month-by-month basis or has a steady, predictable stream of work.

One thing is for sure – with working from home and digital nomadism on the rise, contracts are becoming an increasingly popular option for candidates. Whether that’s a trend that employers will follow – only time will tell.

Interested in hiring a data contractor for an upcoming project or expanding your team with a permanent data professional? Our expert team knows the market inside out, and how to reach the best talent out there, get in touch today.

The post When to Hire a Permanent versus Contract Employee appeared first on Harnham.