Hiring activity in Aussie IT sector remains strong

The Australian IT sector is bucking the national trend of rising unemployment, with 39% of hiring managers expected to increase IT staffing levels this year, according to a survey from Robert Walters.

Hiring activity has increased significantly since last year, when only 25% of IT hiring managers planned to increase headcount, the recruitment firm said.

In addition, 45% of IT businesses are planning to keep their headcount at similar levels and only 16% are planning to downsize. Around 38% of IT employers are planning to implement pay rises, and only 7% are predicting salary cuts.

Robert Walters director Peter Bateson said the survey results indicate that IT employers have not been put off by the current fragile state of the Australian economy.

“Information technology is at the heart of many modern business operations, and it’s essential that businesses have the right employees to make effective use of these systems,” he said.

“Short of being able to increase supply, rising demand for technical skills is expected to increase, generating more intense competition as companies look to build team size.”

The results also show a shift towards a preference for permanent rather than contracting staff. More than half (53%) of IT hiring managers are now focused on recruiting permanent employees, up 10% from last year.

Nine in 10 organisations looking to hire IT professionals will be recruiting at the mid level, 52% at the junior level, 26% at the managerial level and 8% at the director level.

Image courtesy of neetalparekh under CC