“Java is here to stay”: Popular programming language to remain on business hit lists in 2024

Java developer recruitment will accelerate in 2024 as firms target greater efficiency and broader toolkits for teams

Businesses plan to ramp up Java developer recruitment in 2024 and beyond, according to new research, with investment in development tools also expected to surge.

The Java Developer Productivity Report from Perforce surveyed 440 people, mostly Java developers, architects, and team leads across 72 countries.

Perforce said the results showed that investment in talent will rise significantly, with nearly two-thirds (60%) of respondents planning to add additional developers in the coming year.

Developer tool budgets also appear to be creeping up despite economic headwinds, the report noted. Nearly half (42%) said their company plans to increase its tool budget and 31% said their annual tool budget (per developer) was $500 or more, marking an increase compared to the year previous.

Only 22% of respondents said they had that much to spend, however, while just 15% said they would be spending more than $1,000 on developer tools.

“Java is here to stay”, said Rod Cope, CTO at Perforce. “These investments in tools and talent are testament to Java’s role as the stable backbone of enterprise applications.”

Barry Cranford and Marcin Kruglik from the London Java Community group echoed the sentiment around Java’s continued popularity, adding that it will be “relevant for many years to come”.

“It is a popular language used by many enterprises,” they told ITPro.

“There are many new languages which are more trendy than Java, but Java is catching up and adding new features every six months, offering at the same time almost 30 years of experience and stability, which are priceless to businesses.

“From a recruitment perspective we are still seeing many companies hiring Java developers within London and within the community.”