Few new IT jobs in public sector - graduate jobs

In what is bad news for IT graduates wanting to work in public services, a new study has shown that just 4% of all new computing jobs were in the public sector.

Massive Government cuts have forced public sector bodies to cancel major IT projects, a report by ReThink Recruitment pointed out.

ReThink's Michael Bennett said: "Since the coalition came to power in May this year, public sector recruitment freezes have really taken hold.

"IT projects have been abolished and, consequently, demand for IT skills has been very subdued."

Recent months have seen £7 billion-worth of public sector contracts being binned, such as for ID cards, biometric passports and a database for child protection.

Mr Bennett added: "The cancellation of projects, coupled with worries over further cuts to come, has meant public sector IT recruitment has gone through a period of shock.

"The public sector is now at risk of a brain-drain. We are already seeing evidence of this within the contractor market, with the private sector poaching some of the very best IT staff from the public sector."