Digital workforce upbeat as new media shrugs off economic insecurities
The UK’s digital media industries remain upbeat, with sustained confidence in employment opportunities and optimism about current market conditions, according to a new survey released today, 19th May 2008, by digital media community network Chinwag. (http://www.chinwag.com/digitalpulse/2008/03)
PRESS RELEASE
‘Digital Pulse’ is a new monthly initiative from UK-based Chinwag, in association with Gabriele Skelton, that takes the pulse of professionals and creates a ‘confidence index’ for the expanding new media sector.
The Digital Pulse index for March 2008 is 122.1
(An index of 100 equals a neutral response, on a scale of 0-200)
The results reveal an overall positive view, with 72% of respondents positive or very positive about current market conditions for digital business, showing resilience in the face of broader economic instability.
Amid the flurry of positive indicators uncovered by the survey, the March results also note that confidence in the future is decreasing, with confidence with conditions in six months time falling by 8%.
While digital recruitment professionals are flying high, across all areas of new media salary expectations were also high. As many as 62% of respondents thought their salary didn’t reflect their true worth, with greatest dissatisfaction amongst client-side and online publishing professionals.
Permanent staff were 12% overall more confident than freelancers, while the agency sector (web and advertising / marketing) boasted the highest confidence and salary satisfaction. Online publishing, in contrast, was the least confident with 36% giving a negative response to current conditions.
According to Chinwag MD Sam Michel, “The results show the digital sector is confident despite the stream of negative stories about the economy. This appears to buck the current, trend without letting optimism run wild, with confidence expected to fall slightly in six months. Hopefully, the bitter lessons of the post-2001 dotcom winter have been well learnt”.
Chinwag has launched Digital Pulse to help provide professionals working in digital media with a barometer for the industry’s health. This is particularly important as the sector matures and companies need to plan growth, recruitment and business development.
About Digital Pulse:
Digital Pulse is an opinion and confidence tracker for the new media sector. On top of the monthly results, quarterly reports will give a deeper running analysis of industry trends yielded by the data over time. Compiled from anonymous survey responses from practitioners across the digital industries, each monthly survey covers current and projected market conditions, salary expectations, perceived job opportunities and more. For each survey completed, 25p will be donated to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Digital Pulse is produced by Chinwag, in association with Gabriele Skelton.
To obtain the full report email editor
chinwag [dot] com . For a summary of results, to take the survey, and to sign-up for the quarterly reports visit:
http://www.chinwag.com/digitalpulse
Monthly Results - March 2008
Quarterly analysis - March 2008
About Chinwag:
The Chinwag community (http://www.chinwag.com) is a focal point for digital media practitioners in the UK and beyond. Founded in 1996, Chinwag has developed into a community media company that publishes websites, discussion forums, blogs and produces resources and research supporting the people and companies who work in the digital industry. A connecting rod for ideas and talent across the new media, in February 2007 we launched the Chinwag Live events series (http://live.chinwag.com). These regular topical panel discussions have also gone on to tour to the Internet World and Ad:Tech conferences, and recently extended to Manchester.
Chinwag also publishes Chinwag Jobs (http://jobs.chinwag.com), the leading recruitment website for online marketing, digital media, web design and technical positions. It’s used by the BBC, Myspace.com, Yahoo!, Amazon, Vodafone and all major recruitment agencies who place staff in the sector.
[NB: This is the online version of our press release issued today. More traditional blog coverage of Digital Pulse is on its way!]
