IT Hiring on the Rise as Economy Picks Up

Posted 06/13/2011 at 6:42am | by Paul Lilly

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If you're an IT worker looking for a job, there's no need to sing the summertime blues. While the recession took its toll on the number of IT positions available, jobs are now out there as U.S. firms look to slowly start hiring again for the second half the year as the economy picks up, according to a recent survey.

In Dice.com's quarterly Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index survey, 7 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan on beefing up their IT departments with new hires. Only 3 percent expect cutbacks, which equates to a 4 percent projected increase in IT hiring.

"Several years ago companies cut back pretty far, particularly in infrastructure and technology development," said Tom Silver, senior vice president of North America for Dice Holdings, according to ComputerWorld. "They're in a little bit of a state of catch up... in terms of their infrastructure and therefore the people they need in order to replace aging hardware and software and deal with security challenges."

Out of the 900 hiring managers who took the survey, 65 percent anticipate hiring more IT workers in the second half of 2011 compared to the first six months. Dice.com says there's a shortage of qualified technology professionals, and "now is the time to ask for more money. Negotiate hard at the outset of a new job because that initial salary may set the base for the next three years."

You can read the report here.