e-skills UK has published the latest issue of the e-skills Bulletin, the definitive source of information about changes in the demand/supply of ICT labour and skills in the UK.

• Demand for IT/Telecoms staff continued to decline, with the number of advertisements for permanent and contract staff falling by 27% and 32% respectively over the quarter (to 72,000 and 15,000) - the largest decrease recorded for a year.
• There was increased demand for Web authors/editors, with vacancy numbers for all other occupational groups down on Q4.08.
• Unemployment rates for ICT staff - including ICT professionals - reached a five year high in Q4.08-Q1.09, increasing from 3.7% to 4.8% for all ICT staff, and from 2.4% to 3.4% for ICT professionals. This compares with an increase of 6.4% to 7.3% for the UK workforce as a whole.
• However, the number of ICT staff in employment was still 4% higher than the equivalent quarter of 2008, and compares well against a 1% fall for the UK workforce as a whole.
• Salaries for full-time ICT staff increased to £730 per week - an increase of around 1% on the previous quarter and 4% compared with the previous year. This compares to an annual increase of just 3% amongst UK workers more generally.
• Around 5% of ICT professionals received some form of bonus payment during Q1.09 compared to 3% of the workforce more generally.
• The incidence of education and training amongst ICT staff and ICT sector workers continued to fall relative to other occupations/sectors.

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