IT and telecoms recruiters remain optimistic in spite of the downturn, according to a poll by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

A survey taken at a recent REC IT and Communications Sector Group meeting found recruiters in the sector rated their confidence in the current market six out of 10, compared with seven out of 10 in a similar meeting six months ago.

David Smith, vice-chair of the REC IT and communications sector group and managing director of Interactive Selection, told Recruiter that although the headlines reported job losses, he remained confident.

“Some of the companies in attendance are inevitably struggling, but others were up 50% on last year. IT is an integral part of all organisations, there are many parts [of the sector] which are growing,” he says, adding that the skills in demand included Flash, PHP and EPOS.