ClickAJob News

IT professionals working in London have seen their salaries rise by 4.3 per cent over the past year, according to new figures.

Research by CV Screen has discovered that the same jobs in the south-east region increased by 3.4 per cent over the same period.

The average salary for an IT worker in London is now £38,577.

CV Screen's account manager for London Alex Lawson commented: "The London IT jobs market remains strong and we are currently experiencing very high demand for staff at the beginning of 2008.

"Obviously many commentators are predicting the next 12 months to be more testing but the early signs are that the IT jobs market is holding up well."

He noted that salaries in London are at a premium, with paycheques on average 15 per cent more than those of IT professionals in the south-east.

Acknowledging that rising salaries are inevitable in technology's headlong rush, ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg warns of challenges in actually retaining staff.

"The war on talent is very real," he comments. "With severe shortages in the IT sector, companies must guard against counter-bids, poaching from rivals, in fact a full-on tug-of-war for staff from sheer desperation."

There is a defence however, and Mr Traberg recommends a careful look at job satisfaction and work environment, with particular focus on the quality of employee relationships.

"Attracting staff with money is the easy part," he says. "Keeping them takes effort and imagination, an on-going lesson in upping your people skills."