The Bitcoin bubble and a string of high-profile cyber attacks have triggered a huge increase in the popularity of digital technology jobs, according to data. Contributor Bill Richards, UK Managing Director – Indeed

The analysis reveals that in just a year, the number of people in the UK searching for ‘Blockchain’ jobs on Indeed has risen by 223 percent. Blockchain – the technology which underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin – has become an attractive career option as Bitcoin rockets in value and becomes more widely accepted.

Another area of the tech sector enjoying a spike in candidates is IT security. Indeed has tracked a 196 percent surge in jobseekers searching for ‘Cyber security’ jobs, partly in response to the recruitment drives launched by both public and private sector employers in the wake of the high-profile WannaCry cyber attack in May.

The tech sector’s efforts to attract young talent are also bearing fruit – as the number of searches for ‘Creative digital media apprenticeship’ roles rose by 224 percent in a year.

The data, which was uncovered through analysis of search terms entered by the millions of jobseekers who use Indeed each month, also paints a worrying picture for the NHS. The number of jobseekers searching for ‘Overseas nurses programme’ roles rose by 243 percent.

Official figures show up to 22 percent of NHS nurses and health visitors are foreign nationals, and there are increasing fears some could leave amid the uncertainty surrounding the status of foreign residents after Brexit.

2017 has also seen significant turbulence in the airline industry, with the collapse of Monarch, the Ryanair rota crisis and recurring strikes on British Airways. This could go some way to explaining the 202 percent rise in the number of searches for ‘Airline cabin crew’ jobs.

Moving in the opposite direction were searches for ‘Professional driver’ jobs, which fell by 69 percent over the year. The rise of the gig economy, in particular the increase in self-employed driver jobs, is widely seen as a contributing factor.

Bill Richards, UK Managing Director at global job site Indeed, comments: “With unemployment at a record low level, Britain’s employers face a battle for talent – and many jobseekers have come to realise they are in a sellers’ market.

“But while the jobs market remains highly competitive, it’s also responsive. Ambitious jobseekers are quick to respond to emerging trends, and the publicity surrounding cyber security and Blockchain has inspired many to seek a career in both of these fast-growing sectors.

“Meanwhile the spike in interest in overseas nursing positions raises awkward questions for the NHS. Britain’s largest employer already has thousands of vacant nurse and midwife posts, so if the searches tracked by our data translate into skilled healthcare professionals moving abroad, the current NHS staff shortages are only likely to get far worse.”