UK will need 24,000 big data specialists a year by 2017

Demand for staff with skills in big data has grown by over 900% between 2007 and 2012, according to research by e-skillls UK and IT Jobs Watch. Over this period the number of advertised positions for big data specialists has increased from 380 to 3,790, equivalent to an annual average increase of 182%.

This growth is all the more remarkable,  given the difficult conditions of  the UK economy.  Demand for staff as a whole has declined by around 30% , or 6% on average per year between 2007 and 2012. By 2017, e-skills UK predicts the UK will need between 24,000 and 32,000 big data specialists a year.

For more on big data skills, download the e-skills Big Data report