HUNDREDS of jobs vacancies are being created from the mix of financial services and high-tech companies in Bournemouth and Poole, a report claims.

Specialist recruiter BrightPoole says the area is among a series of hotspots for ‘FinTech’ jobs across south coast.

It says there are 660 financial services jobs in Bournemouth and Poole, with a total of 2,270 when Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton are factored in.

It says many of the new jobs are in technology roles, on projects such as developing new digital platforms, designing apps and enhancing online services.

While major retail banks, with their heavy investment in the field, are likely to be the main creators of jobs, smaller ‘FinTech’ start-ups are also contributing, it says.

Angela Hickmore, managing director of BrightPool, said: “There has been a conscious strategy among many banks to shift more high value jobs to the South Coast, given its growing skills base and convenient proximity to London, rather than offshore them.

“Both banks and smaller tech companies are increasingly seeing Brighton, Bournemouth and Poole as lower cost alternatives to London, with salaries and costs of office space significantly less than in the City or Shoreditch.

“At the same time the quality of the talent pool is being enhanced as more and more talented, skilled programmers move there for lifestyle reasons and lower residential property costs.”

Around one in 12 people in Bournemouth and Poole are employed in the finance and insurance sector, with major employers such as JPMorgan, Nationwide, LV, BNY Mellon and Barclays.

Ms Hickmore said: “There seems to be a growing sense that the UK’s burgeoning FinTech sector can thrive outside the capital.”

“These areas are actively being promoted under the ‘Silicon Beach’ brand – using it as a marketing tool to attract and retain talent on the South Coast. Investment is pouring in, and as it does so, opportunities for those working in the FinTech sector are likely to increase significantly.”

Brighton last year received £170m in what the government called a “deal to help create Silicon Beach”, while Bournemouth has used the name Silicon Beach for a two-day conference promoting the digital and creative industries.