The vice-president of Google has predicted that the internet jobs market in the UK will boom over the coming years.

Philipp Schindler, who is based in London, declared that companies that use the web are growing strongly despite the current difficult economic climate.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he explained that the internet is thought to be responsible for around one-fifth of gross domestic product growth in the UK, which could translate into hundreds of thousands of new employment opportunities over the coming years.

Commenting ahead of a business conference in Manchester, he added: "The internet is the biggest driver of export opportunity you will find over the next decades."

In particular, the German Google executive noted that mid-sized companies are benefiting from the web, which enables them to target new markets.

A recent poll by Zurich indicated that over half (57 per cent) of mid-size technology companies polled worry about losing key members of staff and skills shortages in the IT sector.

Posted by Alex Donnell