IT Hiring to Continue Upward Trend, Report Finds

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The hiring of IT professionals is expected to continue its upward trend in 2012, new research finds.

The just-released Robert Half TechnologyIT Hiring Index and Skills Report reveals an anticipated 10 percent increase in the hiring of IT specialists in the first quarter of next year, up 4 percentage points from the previous quarter.

Executives in the retail industry expect to do the most first-quarter IT hiring, with 17 percent of those surveyed planning to expand their IT departments. The business services and manufacturing industries also are expected to do significant IT hiring early in 2012.

Those surveyed pointed to networking and IT security expertsas roles most in demand, with applications development, data/database management and help desk/technical support also needed.

"The employment market for IT professionals has become more active, with many professionals looking for new opportunities," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "The new year, especially, can be a time of transition as companies staff up and IT professionals take stock of their careers." 

Those looking for work might want to start their search in the southern United States, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, where 23 percent of executives plan to increase IT hiring.

Overall, nearly 90 percent of the chief information officers surveyed reported being at least somewhat confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first quarter of 2012.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on interviews of more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees.