UK IT workers are confident about their career prospects despite fears over job losses caused by the credit crunch, according to research.

Some 64 per cent of IT professionals are still confident about their prospects and nearly a quarter of these feel better than they did this time last year, according to the Happiness at Work Index from recruitment consultancy Badenoch and Clark.

Three-quarters of IT staff over 55 reported no loss in confidence, while under-25s were the most optimistic, with 81 per cent feeling the same as last year, and nearly half saying they are more confident.

And in London, the area worst hit by the credit crunch, almost three quarters of IT experts remain confident about career prospects.

Happiness is still rife in the British workplace, but IT workers are especially optimistic about their career prospects, said Matt Gascoigne, IT recruitment director at Badenoch & Clark.

“The truth is that the British office is still an upbeat place to be. The index shows that British workers are still relatively happy in the workplace," he said.

“For IT workers though, the most interesting thing from the index isn’t so much the levels of happiness, but the levels of career confidence we’re seeing. Many are even more confident than they were this time last year.

“But the coming months promise to be a very interesting time. If the doom and gloom headlines continue, employers will need to ensure it’s not having an adverse effect on their workers. If redundancies are made, managing their impact on the rest of your workforce will be vital.”