There is an encouraging growth in the availability of skilled IT contractors, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

The organisation's Technology Demand and Supply report indicates that finding IT workers will be easier for businesses as the economy continues to pick up.

Commenting on the findings, REC Technology chair Jeff Brooks indicated that the growth is good news for the economy.

He said: "Our members are showing increasing confidence in the sector and many of them are looking to hire more recruiters as a result.

"It is very encouraging to see that companies will still invest in technology to develop their businesses even when there is a tough economic landscape."

Meanwhile, research published by Gartner earlier this week suggests that businesses with mature IT security networks are likely to see this component of their budgets reduce over the next year, as firms endeavor to make efficiency savings.