|
72% of Technology Companies & Recruiters Expect to
Increase Hiring
Q1 & Q2 2004
Survey
Indicates the Beginning of a Turnaround in the Technology Job
Market
NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2003:--For those in the
Tech industry, the New Millennium remains one of the most
difficult periods of our lives. Beginning with the stock
market's first dip in mid-March 2000, many professionals
earning good salaries didn't realize it at the time, but the
jobs and security were about to disappear for a very long
time. By October 2000, the layoffs had begun and
when the rest of the country finally started to feel the pain,
tech workers had already been out of work for nearly a year.
Why are tech jobs so important to the
economy? Unlike service positions at retail or call
centers, tech jobs typically pay above average and require
specific skills and education. Averaging $60,000-$85,000
a year, the loss of one tech job in income is equal to 7
service or retail positions. This represents a
significant amount of consumer spending removed from the
economy with each employee, not to mention company upgrades on
high tech equipment and systems at the corporate level.
A few industries make a major difference in the economy.
Technology and Real Estate can make or break a city if either
goes bad. Fortunately this time with low interest rates,
Real Estate remained strong. Without the leveraged
consumer spending these loans created, the economy over the
past 3 years would have been far worse.
Tech workers have their first piece of good
news in a long time. Companies in the Northeast and
Northwest both say they will finally be adding new tech staff
and executive positions in the next 6 months, and they will be
doing so by hiring consultants first. Now is the time to
reconnect with your network, update your resume, white papers
and portfolios. For those actively seeking positions,
according to the following survey, this time they may actually
be there!
Dice Inc., the leading online job board for
technology professionals, today announced the results of its
customer survey indicating that technology oriented companies
are hiring significantly more this year than last year, with
the majority planning to increase hiring over the next six
months.
Key findings of the survey of approximately 300 corporations,
recruiters and staffing firms include:
-
72% plan to increase their hiring efforts
over the next six months
-
49% are hiring more than they were a year
ago
-
5% are not hiring, compared with 11% last
year
-
88% are looking to hire experienced,
hands-on technology professionals
-
14% are looking for executive management
"While the past two years have been very
difficult for technology workers, the survey results point
toward a turnaround in the new year," said Scot Melland,
president and CEO of Dice Inc. "With a majority of our
customers planning to increase their recruiting over the next
six months, and with job postings on Dice.com increasing by
more than 40% since the beginning of the year, we believe
technology hiring has turned a corner."
Additionally, the survey revealed several interesting trends
in regional markets, including:
-
The Northeast remains a hotbed for
technology professionals, with 34% of respondents looking
for tech talent in the area.
-
The Northwest has seen the greatest
increase in openings, with 21% of respondents looking to
hire in the area now, vs. 10% last year.
Consistent with the beginning of a
turnaround, employers also indicated that they will hire
contractors and consultants before bringing in full-time
workers.
|
