The North-South pay divide is narrowing for IT professionals as workers in the North are experiencing increasing pay in comparison to their southern peers, according to data gathered. Although, in most professions, Northerner pay fell by an additional two per cent in 2007 compared to salaries earned in London, the IT professionalpay increased in the North nearly 30 per cent faster than in the South, revealed the research. With more technology businesses and government departments moving up North, demand for IT professionals has exceeded supply causing employers to offer increased pay packets to lure staff from other regions. The Lyons review, which recommended Government move central offices to outside of London is likely to continue the this trend. The BBC, the Bank of New York and the Royal Bank of Scotland are all expanding operations in Manchester. London is still monopolising the highest salary IT jobs in front office financial services, although the credit crunch may afford Northern techies the opportunity to close the pay gap still further on their Southern peers. The figures based on the ONS Labour Force Survey, which collates data from hunbdreds of thousands of ICT workers. The following categories of ICT professionals are included in the research – IT managers, software developers, IT strategy and planning professionals.