Earnings for digital sector consultants are rising faster in the north west than the national average, says a report.

The first three months of 2011 saw wages soar by more than 300 per cent compared with the same period last year, compared with a 200 per cent rise for the UK as a whole, according to freelance recruitment website PeoplePerHour.com.

Jobs with the most earning potential included web design and programming, up 178 per cent from this time last year, app development, up 98 per cent, and e-commerce, up 216 per cent.

Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and chief executive of the website, said the figures showed the strength of the IT sector in the north west and and was strong evidence that the region's economy is gathering steam.

He said: “The IT sector is one of the key engines of growth for the economy and integral to the UK's and the north west's prosperity.

“IT ranks alongside accountancy and law as key elements of the 'knowledge-based' business services in the UK, accounting for more than a fifth of the UK's economic output and more than 11 per cent of employment.

“These figures show that Manchester and the north west are at the centre of economic growth and innovation for the rest of the UK.

“The IT sector isn't just supporting the growth of other traditional sectors of the economy, but it is increasingly underpinning and supporting technological innovation, which is essential if the UK is sustain growth in the long term.”

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