Release of new public sector budgets has resulted in an increase in IT recruitment spend as critical projects have been prioritised, according to Sid Barnes, executive director of IT recruiter Computer People.

The recruiter’s IT employment monitor for April reveals that despite public sector cuts, there was an increase in the number of vacancies (up 5.98% month-on-month).

Barnes told Recruiter: “We shouldn’t get carried away with the increase in activity in the public sector. In the wider context, it’s growth but growth from a very low base. For the last 18 months, spend in the public sector has been absolutely minimal, especially over the last six months.

“With the release of new budgets, managers are spending on critical ‘business as usual’ systems. There is always a tendency to over cut. Public sector departments have cut too deep.

“All of a sudden, there is no development work, there is no budget. In April, with new budgets, the first investment is on ‘business as usual’ systems. The funding went away but the business need didn’t.”