Sydney IT&T Market Update: February 2010
In the Sydney market we have witnessed a marked increase in demand for IT skills across both the permanent and contract sectors. Permanent roles in January 2010 have increased by 32 percent over January 2009, while contract roles have risen by 20 percent against the same period.
The strongest demand is in the Banking sector, with major core modernisation and integration projects in full swing. Over the coming months we expect the Telecommunications sector to also experience strong demand as the NBN progresses.
The NSW government staff freeze is still in place and is impacting on demand but as the NSW economy continues to improve the overall demand for IT candidates will return from all markets including the SME sector.
Will 2010 see an improvement on 2009?
Yes, we have already seen an increase in demand from our clients in the first month of 2010.
- Permanent roles in January 2010 were up 32 % over January 2009
- Contract roles in January 2010 were up 20 % over January 2009
Predicted In Demand Skills
- Organisational Change Managers/Analysts
- Business Analysts
- Process Analysts
- Test Analysts
- Business Intelligence/Datawarehouse Developers
- Java Developers
- .Net Developers
- SAP Consultants
- Telecommunications Networking Engineers/Project Managers
Predicted Growth Sectors
Banking is the key sector for growth in 2010 with major core modernisation and integration projects in full swing.
The Telecommunications sector is likely to rebound as the National Broadband Network gets underway.
Contract Rate Predictions
We expect contract rates to rise as the demand for key skills increases, driven by a number of major projects getting underway.
Rate increases are especially likely for:
- Project Managers
- Business Analysts
- Java Developers
Permanent Salary Predictions
Permanent salaries remained fairly stable in 2009, however we believe that the following selected areas will see gradual increases during 2010...
- Project Managers
- Business Analysts
- Java Developers
Tips for contractors
- Keep up to date with market rates to ensure that you are setting the right expectations for potential employers.
- Pay attention to your resume to ensure that it reflects your previous role in detail, the role you played in any projects and your key achievements in each role.
