Job vacancies in the ICT sector jumped upwards by a massive 8.69% in May, according to a recent survey of internet advertisements.

The Internet Jobs Index survey, conducted by recruiter the Olivier Group, counted 155,738 Australian job advertisements on the net in May, a 3.5% gain for the month and a new record number. However, the euphoric 3.5% rise was tempered slightly by the fact that while 13 industry sectors rose, 8 fell.

The biggest winners were IT and Telecommunications, which was up 8.69%, Transport, up 7.11%, and Advertising and Media, which rose 7.08%.

While the news appears good on the jobs front from the Olivier survey, the data differs from recent surveys which show that SME business confidence is at a two and half year low. The mixed messages coming out of the marketplace caused Olivier Group director, Robert Olivier, to tread carefully and issue cautiously optimistic remarks. "We're still reading the job markets as strong but brittle," he said. “These figures come in the face of a lot of negative news. There may be continued disquiet, but employment is still strong. The jobs market is a different cycle driven by different factors. The employment market is still looking good, but this may be a reflection of labour shortages as much as increased demand."