Demand for procurement and supply management professionals has increased by a third over the past year, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and specialist recruiter Hays Procurement.

The report shows that 33% more jobs in the sector were advertised in Q2 2011 compared with the same period in 2010.

Increased demand comes alongside increased salaries, with 60% of CIPS members reporting salary increases in the past two years in a previous survey.

Roles for procurement officers showed the most rapidly increasing demand, with vacancies increasing by 200%, while senior buyers roles were up by 110%, and procurement management jobs by 75%.

London and the South-East were the regions with the highest concentration of jobs, accounting for 40% of all roles.

The automotive sector was the industry area with most growth in demand, up 73% per quarter.

The report also notes that growth in jobs is evenly distributed between public and private sectors, although a large majority of procurement jobs are in the private sector.

The data indicates just under 20 applicants per job in the sector, compared to over 30 in HR and 31 in non-qualified finance roles.