[Article provided by Amanda Akien of Prosperity4]
The IT market is showing great bounceability according to latest findings.
The latest CWJobs/SSL quarterly IT skills index reveals demand for IT contractors increased by 14 per cent in Q4.
The findings make 2005 look set to be a successful year for IT contracting. The results show that for the fourth consecutive quarter, that the total number of IT vacancies in the UK has risen, with an increase of 140 per cent over the last year.
Requirements for IT consultants have risen significantly in the manufacturing and public Sector, with increases in the number of job vacancies of 54 per cent and 49 per cent respectively. On the skills front, Office, SQL and Oracle remain the most sought after skills in the IT contractor market for the fourth consecutive quarter.
Demand for IT contractors has slowed considerably in Greater London, from a 70 per cent increase in Q3 to only a 5 per cent rise in Q4. Between October and December 2004, the greatest increase in demand for IT contractors was in the West Midlands which suggests that in 2005 there will be increased opportunities for contractors outside of London.
Over the last 12 months the number of IT contractor vacancies rose by 149 per cent, compared to a moderate increase of 18 per cent in 2003, with the North East revealing the most impressive increase of 205 per cent.
According to Richard Nott, Sales Director at CWJobs: “The signs are that the IT jobs market will continue to grow in the first half of 2005.”