The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has released its annual overview of the Australian ICT market revealing that 15,000 more employees joined the ICT workforce during the past year.
However, in its 2010 Statistical Compendium the ACS indicated there were 29,548 less ICT technical, professional, management and trade staff but 220 per annum more total temporary ICT migrants.
Overall ICT industry revenue decreased $3 billion while research and development (R&D) spennding increased to $1.15 billion.
New data shows that almost a quarter (23.5 per cent) of all ICT trade, technical and professional jobs are performed by women, while 60 per cent of ICT trainers, and 50 per cent of graphic and Web designers, are women.
Less than 10 per cent of telecommunications trade workers are women.
ACS chief executive, Bruce Lakin, said in a statement that he was pleased to see Australia’s ICT workforce expanding, despite the impact of the global financial crisis.
“An increase in ICT R&D is also a positive sign for future prosperity of the industry," Lakin said. "The decline in exports whilst disappointing are not surprising given the financial climate that we have experienced over the past 18 months."