IT contractors are benefitting from a continuing rise in employment opportunities, according to a leading recruitment association.

Reacting to a report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) which claimed that the IT sector was one of the strongest areas of growth in the recruitment industry, the Association of Recruitment Consultants (ARC) concurred with the findings.

"As far as IT is concerned, our members have also experienced an increase in IT employment requirements. At the moment, there is definitely an increase in work of that nature," said Adrian Marlowe, chairman of ARC.

Mr Marlowe went on to express caution about whether this rise was part of a continuous trend however, pointing to the lack of lending from banks and the upcoming election as issues that may stunt growth in the jobs market.

In publishing their report yesterday, REC chief executive Kevin Green described the recruitment picture in February as the best performance in two-and-a-half years.

However, cuts in public sector budgets would have a negative impact on the jobs market this year, Mr Green added.