IT Hiring Shows Modest Increase

Hiring expectations of private sector technology recruiters and hiring managers have improved slightly over the past six months, according to a recent survey by Dice.com. The survey found that 45 percent of recruiters and hiring managers expect flat to increasing hiring plans for the first six months of 2010, while 48 percent of recruiters and hiring managers said they anticipate cutbacks in IT hiring.

While the anticipated number of cutbacks remains too high, the numbers show significant improvement since June, when eight in ten employers reported decreased hiring expectations, Dice found.

In addition, companies headquartered in the eastern and southern regions of the U.S. were the most optimistic about hiring, and the sectors respondents were most excited about in 2010 for technology professionals were healthcare, finance and government, the survey found.

And while eight in 10 respondents reported that they would be hiring at least one IT professional in the next three months, the people hired should not expect better pay or a quick hiring process. For new hires, nine in 10 companies said salaries are flat compared to last year, and 50 percent said that the time to fill a position is longer than this time last year.

The survey results indicate that government IT jobs are still maintaining their competitive edge over the private sector, especially considering that federal workers are on par to see a 2 percent pay increase in 2010, and agencies are making strides to reforming the process and the amount of time it takes to hire new professionals.