Job cuts may be prevalent around the country, but a handful of professions are still looking for good people. One such field is information technology.
A new poll of chief information officers shows the need for IT professionals remains stable, despite poor economic conditions. Twelve percent of CIOs in the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report plan to expand their IT departments in the first quarter of 2009. Only 4 percent expect to cut staff. The net 8 percent hiring increase is unchanged from the fourth quarter. Eighty-two percent said they will maintain current staffing levels.
The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half Technology, a provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis.
Some key finding of the study include:
- Among the factors driving the need for more IT personnel, systems upgrades and information systems security have increased the most quarter over quarter.
- The largest firms (1,000 or more employees) expect the greatest staffing increase.
- Network administration is the technical skill set in strongest demand, followed closely by desktop support and Windows administration.
- CIOs in the Mountain and New England regions are most optimistic about hiring.
- Networking and help desk/desktop support are the job areas experiencing the most growth.
"Businesses remain cautious in their hiring outlook, recruiting IT staff who can help them maximize the use of technology to improve efficiency, achieve cost savings and gain a competitive edge," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Investments in Web 2.0 initiatives continue to generate demand in areas such as web development and help desk."
