The Melbourne-based engineering recruitment agency’s vacancy index has shown that demand for all types of engineers has bounced back strongly after the Christmas holiday season.

RPRN Engineering principal Jack Foley said the new index figure was up from 139 in November to 155 at the end of January.

Foley said that demand nationwide for civil engineers rose by 14%, electrical engineers by 18% and mechanical engineers by 21% in the latest survey period.

“The stand-out increase is for water engineers, up almost 65% since November and demand has effectively doubled since the index was first published in March 2005,” Foley said.

Other strong increases were project engineers up 18% and demand for environmental engineers increasing by 24%.

“This is quite an exceptional opening to the new year and suggests that demand for engineers of all disciplines will remain strong and unsatisfied for the rest of the year,” Foley said.

“While Victoria and NSW show moderate increases, demand is strongest in Queensland and Western Australia, where demand for engineers increased by 21% and 17% respectively.”

The logical conclusion, Foley said, was that there would be increased pressure on salaries and contract rates for all engineering disciplines over the coming months.

“Professional engineers also seem more than ready to shift interstate to work where remuneration rates and demand is highest,” he said.