The report, which polls employers about hiring intentions for the April-June quarter, found that a net 26.6 percent of employers in the IT industry will increase permanent staff levels in the coming three months.

The "net effect" is calculated by taking the percentage of employers surveyed that expect to increase staff levels during the next quarter, and subtracting the percentage who expect to decrease staff levels.

The figure of 26.6 percent represents a departure from the past several Hudson employment expectations surveys, in which IT has consistently been the most optimistic sector, scoring the highest net positive effect of all industry sectors.

This time, however, several other sectors, including professional services and manufacturing recorded higher net effects. The highest net effect of all -- 39.1 percent -- was in telecommunications, which is counted as a separate sector to IT in the survey.

The commentary accompanying the report notes that IT's figure of 26.6 percent "is 13.9 percentage points lower than that reported last quarter, when there was a surge in activity in order to engage resources and get roles signed off before the new year.