Demand for IT workers ‘surpasses 14-month high’

Demand for computer workers who use recruitment agencies rose sharply in February, with private sector openings in IT reaching their highest level for at least 14 months.

Scoring telecoms and IT at 152 (up from 108 a year ago), Reed said the number of new jobs “across technology areas” was higher last month than at any time since its index began, in December 2009.

In line with the agency’s claim, the index shows engineering jobs made even bigger gains in February (up to 152 from 93), as did new jobs in Strategy and Consulting (up to185 from 100).

So the employers of technology and IT workers and, overall, the potential employers of two-thirds of all private sector candidates, are clearly in “job-creation mode”, said Reed’s managing director Martin Warne.

Online jobs agency Recruitment Genius agreed, saying “finally it appears there are green shoots” on the jobs front, although it did point out that the early first quarter is traditionally a busy month for hiring managers.

With more certainty, “high competition for new jobs is keeping a cap” on pay, Reed said, partly evidenced by the average wage across the 27 job areas falling by one point.

Specifically within IT though, the average salary rose to 129 index points – slightly above where it was in November, and compared with 108 in February of last year.

Reed’s index, based on appointments by 8,000 recruiters, follows the hiring of IT contractors surging in January to at least a 12-month high, according to 400 agencies with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.