Report says 2006 an interesting year for IT workers

24.01.2006
Career prospects for those working in IT this year are looking particularly rosy. With employers planning to increase headcount this quarter and a looming skills shortage on the horizon, wage pressures are building. It's only early days but 2006 could turn out to be the year of the IT professional.

The latest Hudson report, which surveyed 8693 employers, found 37.5 percent are planning to increase permanent staffing levels during the March 2006 quarter. Only a mere 7 percent expected to decrease staffing levels during that period.

Hudson's Australia/New Zealand chief executive officer, Anne Hatton, said the tight Australian labor market is continuing to put upward pressure on wages.

Put simply, demand for Australian IT workers has never been better, according to recruitment consultants, who say upcoming projects in telecommunications and the banking and finance space are feeding the demand.

For example, Ericsson will begin work on Telstra's 3G/WCDMA network with Alcatel providing the telco's US$3.5 billion IP (Internet Protocol) network.

Some analysts are even suggesting the favorable conditions could entice students back to IT courses at Australian universities where enrolments have plummeted since 2001.