Management Toolkit

Demand for IT pros falling, says Monster

Jo Best ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 14 Aug 2008 13:24 BST

The number of new technology jobs on the market is taking a hit from the UK's economic jitters, according to research from Monster.

The online recruitment company's July 2008 Employment Index shows that the number of IT vacancies advertised in the UK has fallen almost 23 percent since February, with vacancies dropping three percent between June and July alone. Monster studies job adverts placed across a number of sites, including its own, to compile the index.

Telecommunications jobs are also starting to sink in number, with job adverts placed this July around 19 percent lower than a year ago, according to the study, which was published on Tuesday.

The falling number of IT jobs comes as part as a wider monthly slowdown in the UK employment market, with Monster's Employment Index showing around a two percent decline across job adverts for all industries between June and July.

Read this

Feature: Ten tips for trimming IT budgets

As concerns over the economy continue to mount, IT departments can employ certain tactics to make budget cuts as painless as possible

"This partly reflects a seasonal decrease in online recruitment activity during the early summer months, but also suggests loosening conditions in the jobs market," the company said.

However, Monster noted that the number of new jobs being advertised is still above last summer's levels. IT is bucking that trend, however, with the number of vacancies this July around 12 percent lower than the same month last year.

IT workers in Europe are experiencing a similar slowdown, with jobs dropping by over two percent since July last year. The US, meanwhile, reported a more substantial fall, according to Monster's statistics, with year-on-year figures declining around 14 percent.