…2011 looks to be a great year for IT workers. According to a recent Dice.com survey, hiring managers and tech recruiters plan to do more hiring in the first half of 2011 than in the previous six months. Increased hiring rates range from 10%-30%. Not too shabby.
Scot Melland, chairman, president, and CEO of Dice Holdings, says he sees a “slow gradual recovery in the labor market.” Melland noted that job postings are up 38 percent, with increases occurring nationwide. The reason? Simple, Melland said. “Tech is such a big part of everyone’s business processes these days that it’s really gone up around the country.”
The tech start-up scene in New York City has been characterized as “white hot”, with the demand for programmers and engineers stronger than it has been in at least a decade. NYC companies are even taking the unprecedented step of trying to lure IT workers away from the west coast.
So what are the hottest skills? Search Engine and Social Media Marketing top many lists, followed closely by Java and mobile applications development. The demand for iPhone, Google App Engine, and HTML5 developers has seen a significant jump. Skills in cloud computing, virtualization, and network security remain hot.
So while economic recovery may appear slow, the IT industry can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. Move toward the light!