Technology jobs drying up as market hits the doldrums

Entry-level staff struggling to find work, senior program managers taking $100,000 pay cuts or spending months on the bench, permanent roles drying up across the board ... recruiters have confirmed what many in the technology sector already knew: the market is in the doldrums.

New figures from listed recruiter Clarius Group's quarterly Skills Indicator to March 2013 show the information and communications technology (ICT) market has an over-supply of 300 workers and a shortage of 100 managers.

Clarius estimated the sector employs 216,000 ICT professionals and 47,000 managers.

Lacklustre conditions are mirrored in the wider market. The Indicator reports more than 75,000 skilled job seekers across all sectors, up from 42,000 in the December quarter.

While downturns in the permanent sector have historically been matched by a rise in contract hiring, recruiters say neither side is benefiting at present.

Linda Trevor, the executive general manager for Candle, Clarius' ICT recruitment arm, said the only good news was a modest increase in government contract roles in Queensland in the past two months.

The Newman government canned hundreds of roles in mid-2012 but had recently begun hiring again.

IT Contract Recruitment Association CEO Julie Mills said slow times had taken the toughest toll on those at the bottom, with networking and helpdesk staff struggling to find work.

The recruiters' stance is at odds with the Australian Computer Society, which late last year predicted the creation of 12,300 ICT industry jobs by February this year.

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