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In the last four weeks, the average hourly rate among the ten most commonly requested contracting skills has jumped from £32.96 to £34.56, a healthy step up of 5%. Given the massive 19% rise last month, contractors are advised to make hay while the sun shines. These kinds of rate increases cannot last forever. This surge over June and July can be partly attributed to seasonal factors. Permies go away, so more contract talent is required. Also, as bosses head off for their breaks, a flurry of budgetary sign offs can happen, to ensure all runs smoothly while they’re away. But, the summer months can be a frustrating time, with decision makers absent. It is rare to see a period of consistent rate growth over the summer. As with last month, SAP roles continue to stand out. The average hourly advertised rate for “SAP consultants” has reached £67.60. This is an 11% rise on the £61.06 of last month, which had been a rise of 12% on the month before. In January this year, Nick Dettmar, director of Computer People told us he had just seen his best years for SAP roles, and as new modules were released, expected this trend to continue. Oracle, with JDEdwards and Peoplesoft now in tow has seen slower, steady increases. Many were unsure how contractor demand would be affected as the firm began to merge systems. Demand has been unspectacular, and many Oracle specialists could have hoped for more. The hourly rate for jobs requesting generic Oracle skills has risen just over half of one percent in the last 12 months, from £32 to £32.62. Some areas have significantly fallen off over that time. Demand for Oracle 10g has fallen so much that rates dropped 19.44% in the last year, from £43 to £34.62. Over the same period, Oracle 8 jobs have lost just over 9% on their average rates, from £35 to £31.36. Oracle’s HR module, HRMS has plummeted 27%. The firm’s new acquisitions are both strong in this area, which may explain why hourly rates have gone from £47 to £34.02 in just 12 months. The fractional rise across general Oracle roles is the result of gentle upward rises across most other Oracles modules and skills. Oracle contractors must hope that as more system mergers and migrations occur, later this year and early next, rates will benefit accordingly. But oracle contractors should not despair overly. In the April market report, we reported that generic SAP jobs had fallen 16% in two months, from £38.68 to £46.29. Finance related jobs also continue to drop, from £27.21 last month to £26.81 this. That this should continue to happen in an area that provides so many contractors with work is a slight concern, and is worth monitoring for those that work in the field. This is particularly true because the general trend among other skills is upwards. This is particularly true for senior contractors with 3G skills. This volatile market is enjoying a sustained surge, but only at the top end. 3G jobs which quote daily rates (and are, therefore, typically for more senior staff) have jumped more than 42% in the last year, from £300 to £426. In April, day averages were just £330. That’s a 29% jump in the last three months alone. But, more junior staff are not enjoying such a field day. Average hourly rates have gone from £33 to £34.31 in the last year. A healthy step up of 5.4%, but nothing compared to those paid by the day. The most recent trend has actually been downwards, with rates falling slightly, from £34.53 in April. Matt Farquharson Data source: www.itjobswatch.co.uk Jul 26, 2006 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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