22% jump in demand for QA staff by life sciences cos

Online job placements site Jobinfo reports a 22% increase in demand for quality assurance and regulation positions by life sciences companies in the first half of 2012, compared with the first half of 2011. Jobinfo attributes the growth to the growing number of companies undergoing clinical trials, or which have begun production. A contributing factor is new companies that start out with large teams.

"In contrast to high tech, pharmaceutical and medical devices companies hire regulation staff at an early stage," says Jobinfo CEO Ilana Ahimeir. She says that life sciences companies face a challenge in finding specialists in certain fields because demand in each field is much lower than the supply. This is one reason why salaries in the life sciences are lower than in hardware, software, or communications, where there is fierce competition for candidates. In addition, communications developers and software houses usually have higher revenue than life sciences companies.

According to IVC, the life sciences attracted 27% of total venture capital investment in Israel in the first quarter of 2012, about the same proportion as in the corresponding quarter of 2011. However, for 2011 as a whole, the life sciences attracted 16% of total venture capital investment.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 15, 2012