Is public sector IT a jobs safety net?

With the economic slowdown affecting industries as diverse as banking and construction, will the public sector prove a recession-proof haven for IT professionals? For some IT workers, the answer is yes – but the public sector is not the land of milk-and-honey it may first appear.

Apart from anything else, the public sector is also feeling the pinch and aiming to cut jobs. “The efficiency agenda has been a high priority for some time,” says Richard Steel, president of Socitm and chief information officer at the London Borough of Newnham.

“We are mandated to make year on year cuts and to work more in partnership, so the public sector workforce has been contracting irrespective of whether or not we are in an economic slowdown.”

However, IT looks to be less affected than other areas because IT is a major player in delivering projects to achieve greater efficiency.

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Public sector includes: Schools (Government funded), NHS, Councils, National Government, Police, etc...

-Ken