The number of job vacancies for IT professionals has
surged in the past three months, signalling the end of a four-year
downturn.
The number of permanent jobs advertised rose by 33% from 73,160
to 97,531 during the past quarter - an 83% increase in demand
compared to a year ago, according to the latest Computer Weekly/SSL
Quarterly Survey of Appointments Data and Trends.
Demand for contractors has increased by 50% over the past three
months and by 81% since the start of the year.
The upturn is pushing up salaries, which have risen by an
average of 4.3% for permanent staff - the highest increase since
the Y2K boom. Contractors’ pay rates rose by an average of
6.7%.
The financial sector is leading the recovery, with demand for IT
staff rising by 52% in Q3.
Software houses advertised 33.6% more vacancies in the last
quarter. IBM, Oracle and SAP were among the firms to have stepped
up their recruitment.
However, manufacturing remains depressed, with jobs up just 9%
compared to a year ago.
All areas of the UK saw substantial growth. Scotland and
Northern Ireland saw smaller rises, but the number of jobs has
still risen 66% year-on-year.
Job market blossoms >>