* Findings from the report, "U.S. IT Staffing Up, But Outsourcing Takes a Toll"
Despite the fact that offshore outsourcing is slowing U.S. IT job creation, new research from Forrester shows that the U.S. experienced slight IT job growth in 2003 and will continue to post modest annual IT job growth of 3% through 2008.
The report, “U.S. IT Staffing Up, But Outsourcing Takes a Toll,” is based on analysis of occupational data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. It focuses on hiring and salary trends for IT workers who work for IT departments or IT vendors.
According to the results, the U.S. added 42,000 IT jobs in 2003, a 1.3% gain over 2002. This year, employers are expected to add 92,000 IT jobs for a 2.9% increase. The bulk of those new positions will be created by IT departments in a range of industries as opposed to IT vendors. Were it not for automated server technologies and offshore outsourcing, though, Forrester notes that job growth would be higher.
When it came to adding positions in 2003, the telecom and manufacturing led the way in boosting IT staff. Telecom firms added 14%, while manufacturing posted an 11% gain. However, 2004 growth in those sectors is expected to be much smaller. Forrester projects that U.S. IT jobs in manufacturing and telecom will increase by 4% each this year.
The 2004 IT staffing outlook points to broad-based hiring – we’ll see a smattering of gains in industries such as banks and security firms, professional services firms, wholesalers, and public services like healthcare and education. Industries expected to be paring back on IT staffing include chemicals and petroleum, construction and engineering, transportation and logistics, media and entertainment, and utilities.
