IT salaries increased at fastest rate for three years in 2011

Permanent IT salaries improved at the fastest rate for three years in 2011,  according to data from recruitment website CWJobs.co.uk.

The recruitment website also said the fourth quarter of 2011 saw a 25 per cent increase on the same quarter of 2010 in advertised jobs for contract IT workers. 

The rise in advertised jobs was driven by a demand for staff in specialist roles. For example, developers made up 41 per cent of all IT jobs advertised in the whole of 2011. 

SQL programming knowledge was the most highly sought skill in 2011, while demand for the software development methodology Agile increased by 59 per cent from the final quarter of 2010 to the final quarter of 2011.

The recruitment website gave the Tech City initiative credit for a 28 per cent increase in IT jobs in London in the final quarter of 2011 compared with the final quarter of 2010.

It also said there was a 16 per cent decline in the number of IT vacancies in the public sector in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared with the fourth quarter of 2011.

"While there's no denying the impact the economy has had on the rate of growth, these statistics show there is recovery, and the private sector and southeast of England are leading this," said Richard Nott, website director at CWJobs.

"Last year, the spotlight was on the IT industry, particularly on areas such as security and mobile. As new issues and opportunities continue to shape the sector, skills requirements and job opportunities will change accordingly," he added.