* The Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report
IT hiring is forecast to remain steady in the fourth quarter, according to a new report from Robert Half Technology. Business growth is driving the need for more workers, while Microsoft Windows, network administration and database management are the most sought-after skills.
“The Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report” is based on a poll of more than 1,400 CIOs from U.S. companies with at least 100 employees. According to the results, 13% of CIOs plan to add IT staff while 3% anticipate cutbacks, resulting in a net 10% hiring increase. That’s on par with the projections made for the third quarter.
IT job growth is expected to be strongest in the East South Central states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Robert Half Technology forecasts a net 22% hiring increase, a full 12 points above the national average. That’s derived from 23% of CIOs who intend to add staff next quarter and the 1% who anticipate cutbacks.
“Many companies have been moving into the East South Central region to take advantage of the lower cost of doing business and are actively recruiting employees,” says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Firms that have recently invested in hardware and software upgrades now require long-term support for their systems, which is creating demand for help desk professionals, network engineers and network security staff.”
Not far behind in the hiring forecast is the Mountain region of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming. According to respondents in that region, a full 22% expect to add IT staff and none anticipate reductions.
Among those IT leaders who expect to hire techies next quarter, 40% cited business growth as the primary reason. Another 23% of respondents said they need increased customer service or end-user support pros, while 19% seek additional staff to install or develop new enterprise-wide applications.
Microsoft Windows administration is sought by 80% of the CIOs surveyed, while 79% of IT leaders say their organizations are most in need of network administration skills. Another 71% of CIOs cite a strong need for database management.
