infoTECH Feature

July 28, 2011

IT Worker Confidence Stays Flat, but Confidence in Employer Grows

The confidence level among IT workers during the second quarter stayed the same relative to the first quarter, but most staffers are confident about their own employer’s future, according to a new report from Technisource.

The quarter’s Technisource IT Employee Confidence Index remained flat at 56.2, compared with 56.3 in the first quarter. But other results pointed to signs of optimism.

A majority 70 percent of IT professionals polled said they’re confident in the future of their current employer, a number six percentage points above that of the prior quarter and the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2007. Almost three-fourths (71 percent) of technology workers consider it unlikely that they’d lose their jobs, the same as in the first quarter.

Only 22 percent said they lack confidence in their ability to get a new job, down three points from the prior quarter. And 65 percent of IT pros think the economy is getting stronger or staying about the same, slightly lower than the 69 percent who expressed the same opinion previously.

But the news wasn’t all cheerful. Only 21 percent of tech workers think more jobs are available, the same as in the previous quarter. And a full 35 percent of IT professionals are eyeing a potential job change, three points higher than in the first quarter.

Looking at the results, Technisource president Michael Winwood said the latest index points to greater stability in the confidence levels among IT workers and higher hopes that companies will be able to grow.

“However, the likelihood of workers to look for other opportunities continues to grow and employers need to continue to provide their top talent with training and development programs to keep them from doing so,” said Winwood. “Because technology departments have become accustomed to doing more with less for so long, IT workers are reaching a point where productivity is affected and hiring managers need to add additional staff, whether on a contract or permanent basis.”

The latest Confidence Index was derived from an ongoing survey of workers conducted in April, May, and June of 3,833 U.S. adults, of which 227 have jobs in the IT field.

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Lance Whitney is a journalist, IT consultant, and Web Developer with almost 20 years of experience in the IT world. To read more of Lance's articles, please visit his columnist page

Edited by Jennifer Russell
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