Demand For IT Staff Remains High

The Report on Jobs by professional services provider KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) claims a UK skills shortage has led to the sharpest growth in demand for IT staff last month since 1998.

The research uses a readings system to determine whether there has been a change or not from the results of previous months – a reading of 50 indicates not change from the previous month, while above 50 signals stronger demand.

For August, the two firms found that the demand for permanent IT staff hit 70.4, up from 68.4 in July and 62.2 last year.

The demand for temporary staff in the sector has also risen, from 64.2 in July and 62.6 last year to 65.6 last month.

According to the report, this signifies the steepest expansion in demand for permanent IT workers since August 1998 and stands above the national average for all other types of workers.

“The Weather Matches The Jobs Outlook”

“The latest jobs figures for the technology sector mirrored the sunshine of August, but the gloomy weather towards the end of the month reflected the problem the industry is still facing – skills,” claimed Heath Jackson, KPMG partner in the CIO advisory practice.

“The desperation to fill recruitment holes is leading to continued wage growth, which is creating a market that is both unsustainable and unrealistic.

“It’s a conundrum British business will have to solve quickly because if the job market stagnates, the wider impact on performance will end up harming productivity,” Jackson added.

© 24N.biz