The number of technology managers at small businesses in the UK looking to take on new staff still exceeds the number looking to cut the head count, a new survey has revealed.

According to the study by Rethink Recruitment, 34 per cent of directors interviewed are looking for IT support throughout 2009, with 20 per cent stating the opposite.

Other statistics include 46 per cent of respondents expecting to impose a freeze on recruitment for the year, although 32 per cent of departments in small businesses in IT have already admitted to cutting the headcount.

Director of Rethink Michael Bennett said of the research: "The real and growing concern among many IT directors is that further cuts in their budgets will start to jeopardise the quality of work and support they provide to the rest of the organisation which they serve."

The survey follows the news from Computing that jobs in the IT industry are still forthcoming, with an increased demand for web skills needed to match online demand, according to consultancy Robert Walters.

More than half of small businesses (53 per cent) believe that the most important benefit of outsourcing is guaranteed response times for IT support. London-based Connect conducted the research in 2007.