Rising from 67.1 in June to 68.1 in July, the index for permanent staff demand was consistent with a robust expansion in permanent vacancies in the IT sector. The latest reading was the highest in three months and above the average for all types of permanent workers across the UK, which posted 67.6. The IT sub-sector placed fourth out of nine in the demand for staff ‘league table’.
July data indicated solid levels of demand for temporary IT staff as the rate of demand growth accelerated to a six-month high. The respective index scored 63.9 in July, up fractionally from 63.7 in June. The IT category posted in seventh place out of nine in the demand for staff rankings.
Heath Jackson, partner in the CIO Advisory practice at KPMG, said: “For the first time in months we are witnessing churn in the labour market. It seems that employees are finally beginning to wake up to the opportunities available to them.
“Perhaps it’s true that ‘every person has their price’ because the movement in labour is coinciding with another rise in starting salaries. Just a few months ago employers couldn’t tempt staff to switch roles, but indications are that employee’s caution over change is being replaced with hunger for something new.”