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Demand for IT skills outstrips supply for first time since 2008

Posted Mar 30, 2011

Demand for IT talent has outgrown supply for the first time since late 2008, according to the latest e-skills market report.

According to the latest bulletin, the number of IT job vacancies exceeded the number of available candidates during the third quarter of 2010.

The number of IT job postings rose to 101,000 (the fifth successive quarterly rise), whereas the number of 'ready' candidates fell to just over the 100,000 mark. The overall IT unemployment rate is just over 3%, compared to 8.3% for the country as a whole.

Which contract skills are in demand?

The bulletin noted that longer term upward rate trends exist for contractor project managers, network support engineers and network/comms analysts and engineers.

Contractors with strong experience in .NET and C# are likely to be in a strong position when negotiating rate rises, as demand for both skills has risen for four quarters in a row.

Large short term rate increases were also noted for contract web designer and operations analyst roles.

Commenting on the latest statistics, Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK, said:

"While this is good news for IT professionals seeking employment in the sector, the drop in the number of ready candidates with the required set of skills may start to become a problem for recruiters..."

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