Telstra says it has more than 1000 roles unfilled, as new forecasts from the peak body representing Australia’s biggest tech companies show a spiralling sector skills crisis set to get worse.

Leading members of the fast-growing technology sector also revealed the extent of their struggles in finding suitable talent, with Culture Amp having more than 100 vacancies, Employment Hero looking for more than 50 staff and smaller operator Marketplacer short of 25 crucial staff members.