Numbers of UK ICT jobs continues to fall

By Steve Malone

Posted on 9 Jul 2003 at 11:35

The number of people employed within the ICT industry sector fell slightly (down 15,000) in the first quarter of this year compared with the last quarter of 2002 according to the latest e-skills bulletin.

The survey also found that technology, far from being a guarantee of continual employment is actually doing worse than the rest of the economy. Unemployment rates for those who work in ICT industry or those who have an ICT job both rose during the first quarter of the year (to 5.8% and 4.6% respectively). During the same period the UK jobless average rate fell to 5.1%.

Once again the telecoms and manufacturing sectors took the biggest hit with workforce numbers dropping by 21% and 15% respectively over the past year.

The survey estimates that there are now 1,093,000 people working in ICT in the UK.

Not surprisingly, research carried out by Cranfield University/The Telegraph says that most companies are not expecting difficulties recruiting ICT Professionals over the next 6 months. However, IT sales professionals and technical staff are proving harder to recruit.

The e-skills bulletin is published by e-skills UK one of the first two fully-licensed Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in the UK with responsibility for the IT, Telecoms and Contact Centre sectors.