It looks likely to be a good season for IT recruiters as the latest figures show vacancies are mushrooming in the finance sector.

Research conducted by specialist IT job-board CWJobs and independent salary tracker Salary Services found that contractor vacancies rose by 79% between July and September, with permanent vacancies rising by 53% in the same period. Demand for internet and network/communications roles also increased by 150% and 82% respectively.

The top three job skills for IT contractors most in demand in the finance sector are Microsoft Office, SQL and Unix.

Richard Nott, sales director of CWJobs, said: “When the market began to decline many IT projects were put on hold or shelved due to lack of finance. These projects have been reinstated and there has been an increased demand for skilled IT professionals.”