Banking sector set for IT hiring spree in 2010

IT professionals believe that banking will be the hottest recruitment sector next year

The banking, telecoms and software sectors will be the key areas for IT employment in 2010, according to new research from technology recruitment organisation The IT Job Board.

Nearly half of the IT professionals questioned for the survey said that banking would be the hottest sector next year, despite a widespread meltdown of the financial services sector in 2009. This was followed by software and IT services with 42 per cent of respondents, and telecoms with 41 per cent.

Around a third said that project management roles would be most in demand next year, and the same figure chose business analyst jobs.

"I believe that next year the finance sector will really pick up. Banking was the first to be hit during the recession, but it will also be the first to recover, and it will offer a lot of opportunity in terms of IT recruitment," said IT Job Board sales director Peter Healey.

"2010 will see a great deal more project management roles coming through, as companies embark on new IT projects. And testing and development roles, which were heavily affected in 2009, will also increase next year."

SAP, .Net and Java skills will be among the most highly sought after in these industries next year, the report found, while 58 per cent of respondents said that contract jobs would be in greater demand during 2010, compared to permanent positions.

"IT is now a fundamental part of business, and companies cannot afford to cut it. In recent months, The IT Job Board has experienced a real uplift in the number of vacancies being advertised on the site," said Healey. "I believe the sector is through the worst."