A lack of IT expertise could lead businesses to opt for outsourcing, according to new figures.

The Report on Jobs by KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation for May revealed a shortage in the number of permanent staff with developer skills and enterprise software skills.

In addition, employees with IT security skills were also in short supply which could mean some firms are putting themselves at risk.

The findings are based on a survey of 400 UK recruitment consultants who indicate areas in which there is a shortage of available expertise.

Many reported that businesses were finding the availability of staff to fill permanent vacancies fell slightly last month, another factor which may encourage firms to outsource their IT needs.

According to the National Computing Centre, some companies are failing to realise their full technological potential as they are unable to train their staff to a sufficiently high level.