Although most worried that the result of the Brexit would negatively affect the demand for IT Contractors, the growth of demand has increased significantly. The demand for IT Skills has risen, despite the Brexit-induced slowdown in the previous months.
Reed, one of the UK’s leading recruitment websites, added 12000 IT Jobs to the recruiting website in the three weeks following the EU Referendum Results, a 14% jump for IT Jobs.
Both permanent and temporary positions are currently exploitable for the IT Sector. The demand for temporary IT Skills has increased from 52.8 in June, the period in which the referendum was taking place, to 53.7 in July. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) have reported that the type of temporary IT Contractor in shortest supply is developers.
Skills are scarce for both temporary and permanent positions, due to a lack of skilled applicants.
However, a lack of unskilled workers may not be the only cause that positions go unfilled. Permanent hiring dropped dramatically in July, for all sectors and not just the IT Sector. REC’s chief executive Kevin Green said this was because “Businesses are highly cautious about committing to new hires. Economic turbulence following the vote to leave the EU is undoubtedly the root cause”. This suggests that people in the current environment are preferring to stay at their current jobs, meaning positions are being left open.
Out of the 11,966 new IT Jobs since the 24th June, one out of three are on a temporary or contract basis, a figure that hasn’t changed since June 2015.
Green concludes with “There is a renewed confidence in the economy within the sector and IT professionals are reaping rewards”.
