Firms turn to contractors as IT staff demand grows

Research finds that the number of IT vacancies is still rising, with emerging software skills in vogue

Use of contract workers is on the up as demand for IT staff continues to grow.

During quarter one 2011, the number of vacancies in the sector rose sequentially for the seventh consecutive quarter, according to research from JobAdsWatch.co.uk and IT recruitment firm CWJobs.co.uk. Roles for permanent staff grew six per cent, while those for contract workers were up 11 per cent.

Software development positions made up almost 40 per cent of all postings, with design and project management jobs accounting for 20 per cent. Developers' salaries are also on the rise, having grown three per cent in the past year, compared with the industry-wide rate of 0.9 per cent.

The research also finds that the need for skills in emerging technologies, such as VMware, Scrum and Agile, is skyrocketing, with demand for Agile rising a whopping 48 per cent.

Permanent job availability in the media, financial and retail sectors is continuing to rise steadily, with Q1 sequential growth clocked at six, five and five per cent, respectively. The public sector, however, is a different story, with vacancies down one per cent last quarter. Since the beginning of last year, postings have been cut by more than half.

Richard Nott, web site director at CWJobs, said: "It's encouraging to see that the IT jobs market is nearing two years of rising recruitment levels. We have seen a surge in the number of recruiters seeking contract IT staff this quarter, which will increase job prospects for flexible job seekers who are prepared to skill up, particularly on emerging skills such as Agile, over the coming year."