Telco ICT job growth slows: Badja

Job ad numbers in the telco ICT sector have slowed significantly in the last six weeks, according to an ICT consultancy.

ICT consultant Badja's Telco ICT Report found a sudden drop of 40 percent in online ad numbers following the week of 28 May, according to a statement from Badja.

"The drop has been sustained for the last six weeks, with growth slightly slower than [that] seen in previous months, but certain growth," the statement said. "It may be of some note that there has been an accompanying slowdown in significant news announcements over the last two months and may indicate that the sector is putting on the brakes slightly."

But Robert Brand, a director at Badja, doesn't believe the slowdown is necessarily a bad thing.

"It was too hot," Brand argues.

He believes that because of this, the job pool of available candidates would have dried up in six to nine months. "Basically it will create instability if all of a sudden there aren't enough workers," Brand said.

Brand said he expects the growth to go back on a steady climb again.

He is also adamant that jobs in the telco vertical should be looked at separately from IT jobs, because the sectors can see separate trends. Brand said there has also been demand in the IT sector for staff with telecommunications skills, for example because companies may be looking at replacing phone networks and need those telco skills within their IT department.

Badja's Telco ICT Job Index tracks web-based ads for telco-focussed jobs. "Only advertisements that are technology based and relate to carriers, suppliers, service providers and similar are included in the statistics," according to Badja's website.