2012 IT Job Market Looking Okay Despite Economy

What type of job market and demand will IT professionals face in the coming year?

IT job site Dice sees a relatively bright 2012 ahead based on a survey of almost 1,200 IT hiring managers and recruiters. Around 65 percent of those polled said their companies or clients are looking to add tech pros during the first half of next year. And more than a quarter (27 percent) of them are planning to expand their staff by more than 20 percent over the coming six months.

Specifically, IT professionals with six to ten years of experience will be most in demand, followed by those who’ve worked in the field for two to five years.

Of course, the sluggish economy continues to weigh on the growth of IT hiring.

“The tech recruiting market is active, although the pace of improvement has been impacted by broader economic concerns,” said Alice Hill, Managing Director of Dice.com (News - Alert). “Many companies are chasing mid-career talent. The elevated economic uncertainty makes it tougher for hiring managers to lure tech professionals into leaving their current position.”

To attract the right people, many companies are offering higher salaries, says Dice. Around 42 percent of those polled expect salaries for new hires to rise in the coming year. That’s down from 47 percent this past May but substantially higher than from any of Dice’s prior surveys since June 2008.

Almost half (48 percent) said that it’s taking longer to fill open positions this year than it did last year. Among those, 57 percent blamed this on a shortage of qualified professionals, while 31 percent attributed it to worries about the economy.

Further, those polled don’t seem too concerned about layoffs. Among corporate hiring managers, only 16 percent see layoffs as likely during the first half of next year. But 38 percent of hiring managers and recruiters expect more employees to leave on their own next year, down from the 43 percent who expressed that opinion in mid 2011.

To compile its findings, Dice surveyed HR managers and recruiters around the country who primarily focus on technology professionals. Conducted from November 14 to November 18, the survey received responses from more than 1,200 people.