Manchester 'rivals London' for graduate IT jobs

Manchester is emerging as a serious rival to London for graduate IT jobs, thanks to a combination of blue-chip employers, competitive salaries and relatively cheap living costs, it has been argued.

FDM, which claims to be the UK's largest recruiter of IT graduates, said that the jobs market for technology sector is currently booming, but university leavers do not have to limit their job searches to the capital.

It added that living outside of London can considerably reduce the strain on personal finances. The company, which is expanding of its Manchester graduate training programme by 100 places, cited figures from rightrent.co.uk showing the average rent for a one-bedroom flat in Manchester is £600, less than half the figure for London (£1,450).

Figures from itjobswatch.co.uk also showed the average salary for a permanent IT job in Manchester was £45,250 during the first three months of 2011. For the UK as a whole excluding London, the typical salary was £32,500.

Furthermore, FDM said that living in the North West does not mean IT graduates will miss out on jobs at blue-chip firms as it has placed individuals with a number of major companies in the region, including HSBC, Barclays and Unilever.

FDM chief operating officer, Sheila Flavell, said: "This city is a fantastic place to live within and one that is always popular with trainees and FDM employees alike."