IT sector promises rollercoaster ride in 2011
Research from The IT Job Board reveals majority of IT managers do not expect an upturn until 2012
Next year will not see the IT industry emerge from recession, according to a survey of IT managers carried out by The IT Job Board.
Of those surveyed, 72 per cent do not believe the recession is over, and a further 56 per cent felt the sector will come out of recession in 2012.
A total of 61 per cent said the state of the economy had impacted their IT department, and 78 per cent of those questioned said they would either decrease headcount or keep it at the same level in 2011. Worryingly 44 per cent believe that IT budgets will decrease next year.
Alex Farrell, managing director of the IT Job Board, said: “This is a knock-on effect of the cuts made in 2009 – at this time, departments lost staff with core skills, and their entire infrastructure had to be reworked.
“Today, IT departments are beginning to show signs of growth, and workers are being given bigger jobs and more tasks, which has – inevitably – placed a strain on all parties.”
But for those who do plan to recruit next year, a total of 46 per cent will be looking for staff with .net skills, and a key sector to watch in 2011 will be banking, according to the respondents.
A further 44 per cent felt that software and IT services will be another major area for growth. The sector will also see more demand (43 per cent) for project managers in 2011, compared with a 21 per cent demand for IT managers.
Farrell added: “Even though the UK IT sector suffers a skills shortage, demand still outstrips supply, and core workers are likely to be in jobs – so I believe we will still see strong levels of churn in 2011.
“And, as we come out of the recession, I think we will see an increase in permanent roles, but there will be areas where there is an uplift in IT contractor jobs, for example in .net, which is likely to be down to a lack of skills supplied,” she said.