New research by a leading recruitment industry body has shown that the disruption in demand for traditional job roles caused by the Covid-19 crisis has led to a spike in demand for IT staff.
Regional analysis for the London area carried out by Vacancysoft in conjunction with the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has shown that IT and technology jobs are dominating the recruitment market as firms endeavour to continue operations remotely during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown.
The data provided by business intelligence specialists Vacancysoft showed that by sector, IT hiring is most in demand in the capital, accounting for thirty-five per cent of all vacancies since the lockdown began nearly a month ago. In a normal week, the sector would make up fifteen per cent of vacancies at most.
The analysis also showed that the top five in-demand job roles in London are all technology-related, with software engineering roles being the most sought after.
Commenting on the data, Ann Swain, CEO of APSCo, said: “While the coronavirus has meant that many firms have slowed down hiring — it has by no means stopped. The fact that recruitment is still continuing with relative strength in IT is perhaps unsurprising due to the on-going need across most sectors to conduct operations remotely, but is nonetheless encouraging during these testing times.”
James Chaplin, CEO of Vacancysoft, said: “Covid-19 continues to damage the nation’s economic health, and needless to say, the professional recruitment sector. However, from our data, it’s clear that there is still some hiring taking place, with IT roles in particularly high demand. As the lockdown continues, and we adjust to the ‘new normal’, there is no doubt that many positions will still need to be filled, making innovative talent strategies more important than ever.”
21st April 2020.
