MORE jobs and increased salaries is the story across the board in the computer industry, according to a recent survey of the sector.

The boom in the area is set to continue through 1996, and more than 80 per cent of software development, supplier (hardware software and services), localisation and call-centre companies are intending to take on extra staff this year, according to the study which was carried out by the Dublin-based company, Computer Staff Recruitment (CSR). But CSR notes a shortage of good candidates for jobs in the industry.

The use of contract staff is a growth area in the computer business. Almost three quarters of the companies surveyed said that they use short-term contract personnel, while nearly half of the organisations which have so far omitted to use contract staff, say that they will need to do so in 1996.

However, according to the CSR Profile of the Computer Industry report, which surveyed over 200 indigenous and multi-national companies, "salary hikes of 30 per cent in some areas are in evidence either to attract the right people or to encourage skilled staff to remain with their present employers".

The average starting salary for a graduate applications programmer or software engineer is now £16,000 per annum. Call-centre telesales executives can expect average starting salaries of around £14,000, while annual commission can increase their incomes by £4,0000 to £8,000.

Over 80 cent of software development companies require new recruits to hold a third-level qualification (including certificates and diplomas), while almost three-quarters of companies expect candidates to have a degree as a minimum entry level.

Just over half of the localisation companies surveyed said that they look for a degree as their minimum entry requirement.

The report notes that this sector often demands foreign languages as a prerequisite - French, German, Italian and Spanish being the most important. A good Leaving Certificate is the entry-level requirement for call centres, but since foreign language skills are a necessity, companies are forced to recruit from the graduate pool.

The industry remains male-dominated particularly at management level and this is only partly explained by the fact that fewer women take computer courses at third level, says CSR managing director Elizabeth Nelligan.