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Demand for IT contractors rises

Tom Espiner ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 29 Jun 2005 15:00 BST

A report published this week has shown an increase in demand for IT contractors.

Developers, Unix specialists, analysts, and project managers now command an average rate of £27.60 per hour, up from £27.01 in May, according to a Contractor UK market report. This is the highest rate paid to contractors this year, exceeding January's previous high of £27.56.

This rate rise is partly caused by the summer, according to the report, with short-term contracts more common as full-time workers go on holiday. This is compounded by contractors themselves taking breaks after completing six-month contracts.

For the first time analysts are now more in demand than developers, which Contractor UK says is caused by an increase in demand for analysts, rather than a decline in demand for developers.

The report also found an increase in the rate paid to SQL developers, but a drop in the rate paid to coders who specialise in other languages such as Java and C++. Demand for those with telecoms skills remained broadly level.

To read the full report, click here.