IT job prospects unscathed by UK recession fears

Despite predicted doom and gloom, just nine per cent of IT contractors say they are very concerned about finding work in the current economic climate. Furthermore, over half are not at all concerned, according to research from InterQuest Group, the IT recruitment specialist.

The survey also found contractors do not think senior staff at their current companies are concerned about a credit crunch: just 12.4 per cent said senior managers seem very worried, while nearly a third said they donít seem worried at all.

InterQuest conducted an anonymous survey to gauge the industryís mood in the face of news of a potential recession in the UK. More than half of the contractors feel confident about their job prospects and 52 per cent said permanent staff at their current companies are not worried about pay or job cuts either.

ìThere are those who seem intent on almost talking us into recession and that's obviously spooking some people,î said Gary Ashworth, chairman at InterQuest. ìHowever, the truth of the matter is that while a minority are very worried about where their next job will come from, we are not seeing any let up in the demand for skilled IT contractors. Unlike during the last recession, which was so inextricably linked to the dot-com boom and bust, this time around IT is at the very heart of every successful business.î

ìCompanies may not be spending big on new hardware or infrastructure right now but bringing in skills to get the most out of existing systems and grow the business or reduce costs through the effective use of IT is definitely still an investment firms are making.î

ìThe effective use of IT presents the best opportunity to increase efficiencies during a time of belt-tightening,î added Ashworth.

As such, Ashworth believes that putting a freeze on recruitment or projects would be a false economy in the current climate. ìThe minority of senior managers who are very worried about an impending credit crunch must not let their fears cause the situation to become a reality,î he said.

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