Demand for high-tech workers is continuing to fall. Manpower Israel reported today a 6.4 percent drop in demand for high-tech workers in August 2006 compared with July, and a 19 percent drop compared with August 2005. Demand in August was 2 percent lower than the monthly average in 2002, which was the low point in the sector since the bubble burst.

Manpower Information Technologies reported that demand for most high-tech professions fell in August. The decline in some sectors has been continuous for several months. Demand for managers fell 21.3 percent, demand for network managers and support staff fell 17.7 percent and demand for programmers fell 13.3 percent. Despite the drop in demand for managers, demand is still 65 percent higher than in August 2005.

On the other hand, demand for team leaders and project managers rose 7.9 percent, after plummeting in recent months. Demand for hardware engineers rose 10 percent, after falling since last December.