IT jobs booming – and wages will follow

The IT jobs market is in its healthiest state for two years, with IT organisations falling over themselves to hire new bodies.

Research from Reed recruitment has found that 68 per cent of IT organisations will be recruiting in the coming quarter, with an extra 26 per cent saying they'll be making new hires to keep up staff numbers.

While office-hopping might be in, IT organisations' faithful employees needn't worry too much about the possibility of a P45 and a large cardboard box waiting for them one morning, with only six per cent of IT organisations saying they expect to make redundancies in the next quarter.

IT is storming ahead of other industries in recruitment, with only 27 per cent of public sector and 38 per cent of manufacturing organisations saying they'll be adding new staff.

With recent reports questioning whether the tech sector really has recovered, should IT workers be getting excited about improvements in jobs market just yet?

Steve Hallett, regional manager at Reed technology, said the signs for an upturn were promising if not conclusive.

"We're seeing some very good indicators… Following a very flat period over the last couple of years, there are some very encouraging signs," he said.

Another sign of the IT jobs market returning to stability is techies returning to contracting. During the downturn, many contractors saw rates dropping and work drying up – prompting a move to the more stable world of permanent employment.

While techies may be hesitant to rush back into job hunting, however, there may be one knock-on effect that should please everyone – wages increasing.

Hallett said: "We're beginning to see salaries improving slightly; contractor rates are improving as well. From that perspective, it looks like there are some green shoots."