IT industry shows fastest growth in employer demand

The IT industry has beaten seven other sectors on growth in permanent jobs.

The Report on Jobs survey gave the IT sector 65.2 index points for January 2011, reflecting growth in employer demand during the month.

Engineering  and construction (60.7) and executive/professional (60.6) enjoyed the second and third-highest levels of growth.

The report, compiled by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG, also found growth in temporary jobs within the sector.

IT and computing took third place (62.2 points) behind blue collar (64.8) and engineering and construction (63.6).

Demand for permanent and temporary workers across all eight sectors grew in January.

But Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services at KPMG, sounded a note of caution.

He said: "It is too early to speculate whether these are the signs of a private sector-led recovery. With looming public sector job cuts, the VAT rise and slowing economic growth, the UK job market is likely to remain volatile over the coming months."

Recruitment consultants surveyed for the report said that within the IT sector, they had particular problems filling business analyst and CAD operator vacancies due to skill shortages.

The Report on Jobs is a monthly survey, drawing on data from 400 UK recruitment consultancies.