Demand for permanent IT and computing workers improved for the 55th month running in March according to the latest Report on Jobs published today by KPMG and the REC.
Moreover, the growth rate accelerated to the quickest since August 1998. Demand for permanent employees was also stronger than that for temporary/contract staff, as shown by the respective indices scoring 69.6 and 63.7.
Whereas March's reading for permanent IT workers registered above the respective index for all sectors (67.5), the index for temporary/contract IT professionals posted below the national average of 66.0.
Latest data indicated that demand for permanent IT & Computing workers came in third out of nine on the demand for staff 'league table'. The situation was less positive for temps, with the sector ranking seventh.
Heath Jackson, partner in the CIO Advisory practice at KPMG, said: "It's encouraging to note that the demand for permanent technology workers improved for the fifty-fifth month running, with more organisations offering contracts for permanent positions than temporary roles over the past month.
"The technology sector figure resonates with the national numbers, indicating employment is on the up. The next step will be for candidates to put themselves forward for the roles on offer to improve prospects - something they still seem unwilling to do.
"Time intervals are also a challenge. The lead time between roles becoming active and an employee becoming productive can be up to 12 months. The unanswered question is whether the workforce as a whole can feed the demand and meet employer requirements."