Advertised IT manager roles have almost halved since January

But support staff remain in demand

Demand for IT managers is shrinking

The number of IT manager vacancies has decreased for the fifth consecutive month, according to new research by specialist recruiter the IT Job Board, while IT support roles are now the most widely advertised positions.

Since January 2010, the number of manager jobs advertised has almost halved and the number of available roles now accounts for just 32 per cent of all vacancies, down from 64 per cent earlier this year.

There has also been a month-on-month decline in demand for project managers since May this year.

“This report provides a real industry barometer,” said Alex Farrell, managing director of The IT Job Board.

“It’s interesting to see that IT support roles have taken over from IT manager jobs as the most widely advertised on the site, and perhaps this is the result of companies cutting back on bigger IT projects, which require specific project management skills,” he added.

The IT Job Board also found that the number of roles requiring SQL, web development, software engineering and .NET skills have each increased over the past three months.

“Demand for jobs across various skill-sets has changed from month to month. As companies get to grips with social and business networking, Web 2.0 skills are proving critical,” said Farrell.