UK firms lack confidence in IT

UK firms are less likely than their global competitors to hire more staff this year

UK businesses have less confidence in the IT industry than many of their global counterparts, according to research from the non-profit Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

CompTIA's global business confidence survey shows that companies in India and China have greater confidence in their domestic IT industries than do companies in the UK or US.

IT organisations are looking to invest after a period of cutting costs, the research shows, although UK IT companies plan to invest less than those in other countries.

Around 42 per cent of firms globally expect to increase spending on staff in the next six months, and companies in China and India have the highest expectations for staffing increases.

However, only 30 per cent of UK firms expect to increase spending on staff by the end of this year, according to the survey.

"This is no time to relax. If the UK is to compete with emerging economies, it needs to continue to attract and retain top talent into the industry," said CompTIA European vice president Matthew Poyiadgi.

"This is a great time to take on staff and introduce new skills to take advantage of new opportunities."