Over half of tech professionals across the UK (57%) say that the tech talent shortage has increased compared to last year, according to a talent platform Gigged.AI.

The report surveyed 255 professionals working in or managing digital transformation. The report also noted that the tech talent shortage figure stood at 90% for respondents who said they are experiencing a tech skills shortage to ‘some extent’ while 74% are already experiencing it at a ‘large extent’.

The reasons for this extensive talent shortage include the inability to find qualified candidates (34%) and lack of budget (32%). Most respondents (58%) said they have also experienced a hiring freeze in the past year, suggesting more significant problems.

Gigged.AI's report found that skills challenges are present across a broad sweep of technology & IT roles; the most significant gaps are to be found in software development (37%), cybersecurity (37%) and digital marketing (36%).

A majority, or 72%, of UK businesses surveyed currently participate in digital transformation projects; 30% claim there is too much work and insufficient people to complete it successfully.

Meanwhile, 92% of respondents report experiencing stress at work, with more than half (62%) saying the skills shortage is a contributing factor.

Over a quarter (27%) of those asked how they would tackle the talent shortage said they're creating training programmes to upskill current employees to plug talent gaps.

At the same time, 80% report that their company offers employees the opportunity to take on additional digital responsibilities, with more than half of them (44%) hoping to take advantage of this.

The report also found that 37% of respondents also offer on-the-job training, and around a third are ramping up salaries (33%) and benefits (32%) for existing staff.

However, under a quarter (24%) of those asked are looking at more flexible options, such as freelancers or consultants, to fill the gap, and only 15% are looking at rehauling their approach to hiring.

Gigged.AI, CEO and Co-Founder Rich Wilson said, "As boardrooms continue to put their money behind ambitious digital transformation initiatives, the demand for digital expertise will only grow and it's vastly outstripping today's limited talent supply.”

“Burnout is now reaching crisis point, and it's time for management to step in with support,” Wilson said. “These concerning figures reveal that the tech talent shortage is indeed causing alarming levels of mental health stress for employees, and companies need to quickly assess their employee and hiring needs to ensure that their workforce is not leading to a severe and damaging case of burnout"