Perth IT&T Market Update: April 2010

Demand for both permanent and contract ICT staff has risen strongly during Q1 of 2010.

In fact, the Perth market is beginning to experience a skills shortage in key areas, from both the resources sector and from the broader spectrum of financial services, manufacturing and other sectors that support WA’s resources industry.

There is particularly strong demand for roles including IT Managers, Program Managers, Engineers and Application Development Managers.

In response, salaries and contract rates for these roles are rising. For example, payscales for Senior IT Managers have risen by almost 10 percent to $120,000 in the past six months since November 2009, while salaries for Senior Business Analysts have risen by more than 15 percent to $105,000 in the same period.

Skills shortage forecast

As industry wide demand for IT skills continues to grow, Peoplebank expects that the WA market will shortly begin showing signs of a widespread skills shortage.

The consequences of a skills shortage are likely to include further upward pressure on salaries and contract rates, as well as rising staff turnover as employees pursue contract and higher-paying roles.