IT employment looking up

Employment in the local IT sector has increased to the highest level recorded since April 2001, according to the latest Hudson Report.

The recruitment agency’s Employment Expectations survey showed out of 7614 employers nationally, 48.6 percent of those in the IT sector expect to increase permanent employment levels in the July – September 06 quarter.

Hudson stated in the report only 3.2 percent expect to reduce staffing levels, translating to a net effect of around 45.4 percent, an increase of 6.6 percentage points from the April – June quarter.

IT employer sentiment for the July – September quarter is the highest of any industry nationally and is 6.3pp more optimistic than during the same period a year earlier, said Martin Retschko, director of the information technology and telecommunications sector, Hudson.

“The demand for employees in this sector is being driven by IT system upgrades and implementation projects, particularly in the ACT and Victoria,” said Retschko.

He said the IT sector's in the 2006-07 Federal Budget, including new measures to encourage venture capital investment, IT funding in the education sector and improved IT depreciation arrangements for businesses and investment in computer system upgrades, will contribute to the demand for new employees.