The number of people applying for jobs in the IT sector is on the rise, a new report has found.

Research conducted by CV Screen revealed that the number of people applying for vacancies in the sector increased by 17 per cent in the first two months of 2008 when compared to the end of last year.

It also found that confidence in the IT industry remains high, despite worries about a slowdown in other industries.

Matthew Iveson of CV Screen said: "We've not only noticed an increase in the number of applicants but also in the number of new IT vacancies being registered.

"Despite fears surrounding the credit crunch, CV Screen registered a record number of IT jobs in February which is testament to our success and also a sign that the market is still buoyant in the early months of 2008."

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) demand for IT workers increased by seven percent in the last quarter of 2007.

Jeff Brooks, spokesperson for REC, put the increase in demand down to greater corporate investment in IT.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent) In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were 'guaranteed response times' and 'allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues'.