Suitably qualified IT contractors might benefit from the lack of applicants for mid-level permanent vacancies in the UK’s IT departments.
Despite an increase in the number of full-time IT roles on offer, recruiter IntaPeople says applications in the 3rd quarter of this year are down 22% on the comparable period in 2010. In Q3 last year, IntaPeople had a pool of 2,874 people chasing a permanent role in IT; now it says it has 2,511 candidates.
One of IntaPeople’s directors, Stephen Riley, said some firms now have to put projects on hold because they can’t find the people they need. There is a lot of top-level talent, but workers in the mid-tier are usually the ones that turn strategy into action.
Riley wants to see the government do more to make sure youngsters understand the benefits of learning IT at school, but says that there is a void that currently needs filling and freelancers are well placed to step in.
He went on to explain that an increasing number of companies are looking to freelancers; especially those based outside major cities.
Meanwhile, ITJobsWatch has reported that daily rates for some IT contractors are decreasing.
The average rate for a developer is down £25 year-on-year to £375. 10% of developers are still getting more than £600 a day, but the same percentage gets less than £250.
Project managers and business analysts receive an average £450 a day, but the top 10% command an impressive daily rate of more than £650.
ITJobsWatch also reports that there is a bigger range in rates than was previously seen. And even though some banks have cut rates by 10%, there are still good rates to be had.
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