IT Hiring On The Rise

Information technology hiring in the private sector is expected to increase by 7 percent in the second quarter of 2011, according to a new report by Robert Half.

The Robert Half Professional Employment Report, which is based in part on interviews with more than 1,400 chief information officers, found that 80 percent of CIOs are optimistic about their organizations' ability to expand in the next three months. Nine percent of executives plan to increase their IT hiring in the first quarter of 2011, while 2 percent plan to reduce staff. The net 7 percent increase in anticipated hiring is five points above the previous quarter's forecast, Half noted.

In addition, the survey shows that the federal government is not the only sector faced with the challenge of finding skilled IT professionals. Tasked with improving organizational efficiency, supporting new web initiatives and maintaining data security, many organizations are looking to augment their staffs. Still, 43 percent of CIOs said they find it challenging to find and recruit skilled IT professionals, the study found.

CIOs also noted that the most in-demand positions in 2011 will be network administrators, Windows administrators, and help desk and desktop support professionals. Finance, health care, and wholesale will be the top industries for IT jobs, according to the report.