[jsfg_cinti] Largest Companies' CIOs Most Optimistic About Employment Gains

Good news for IT job seekers!

Regards,
Lance

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http://www.certmag.com/common/newscenter/newsdisplay.cfm?id=4955

Survey: Largest Companies' CIOs Most Optimistic About
Employment Gains

Menlo Park, Calif. -- March 9

Twelve percent of chief information officers (CIOs)
interviewed for the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring
Index and Skills Report intend to expand their
information technology (IT) departments in the second
quarter of 2006, while 4 percent plan staff
reductions. The net 8 percent hiring increase compares
with a net 12 percent increase forecast last quarter
and a net 9 percent projected this time last year. The
majority of executives surveyed -- 84 percent --
anticipate no change in their personnel levels during
the next three months.

The national poll includes responses from more than
1,400 CIOs from a stratified random sample of U.S.
companies with 100 or more employees. It was conducted
by an independent research firm and developed by
Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT
professionals on a project and full-time basis. The
company has been tracking IT hiring activity in the
United States since 1995.

Key findings include:
# CIOs at the largest firms (1,000 or more employees)
forecast the strongest employment growth.
# Business growth is the primary motivation for adding
IT staff.
# Help desk/end-user support is the hottest job
category within IT departments. The West North Central
states lead the nation in hiring optimism.
# Executives in the retail industry are most
optimistic about hiring activity.

â??Many CIOs are adding IT personnel gradually to
support recent business growth,â?? said Katherine
Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half
Technology. â??Competition is rising for professionals
skilled in the hottest applications and specialties,
and multiple offers are increasingly common.â??

CIOs at the largest employers are most optimistic
about adding IT staff in the second quarter.
Twenty-five percent of executives at firms with more
than 1,000 employees plan to hire additional personnel
and 5 percent foresee staff reductions, for a net 20
percent increase in hiring activity. This compares to
a net 5 percent increase in hiring activity forecast
at the smallest firms included in the survey (100-249
employees).

Among CIOs who plan to hire in the second quarter, 40
percent said corporate expansion is the reason.
Twenty-six percent cited increased customer and
end-user support needs.

...

When asked which overall job category was experiencing
the most growth within their IT departments, the top
reply was help desk/end-user support, with 21 percent
of the response. Networking followed at 15 percent and
data/database management was third, with 13 percent of
the response.

CIOs in the West North Central states forecast the
strongest IT hiring activity during the second
quarter. Fourteen percent of executives expect to add
staff and 2 percent anticipate personnel cutbacks. The
net 12 percent increase is four percentage points
above the national average.

...

Notable employment growth also is forecast in the New
England states. Fourteen percent of CIOs plan to
expand their IT departments and 3 percent expect staff
reductions, for a net 11 percent hiring increase.

Technology executives in the retail sector are most
optimistic about hiring in the second quarter of 2006.
Nineteen percent of CIOs in this industry plan to
expand their IT departments and only 3 percent expect
personnel cutbacks. The net 16 percent hiring increase
is eight points above the national average.

â??Retailers are turning to new industry-specific
technologies to achieve cost-savings and improve
competitiveness,â?? Lee said. â??They are hiring IT
professionals who can recommend, implement and manage
more sophisticated inventory management, forecasting
and replenishment systems.â??

Strong hiring activity also is expected in the
wholesale and transportation sectors. CIOs in each of
these industries forecast a net 11 percent hiring
increase.

For more information: http://www.rht.com

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