IT Worker Confidence Hits Highest Level in Three Years

IT pros are more confident about the economy and their job prospects than they have been in three years, according to the results of a new survey (PDF) from Technisource.

The IT Employee Confidence Index maintained by IT staffing provider Technisource rose 6.6 points to reach a mark of 58.2 in this year’s second quarter. Based on a survey performed by Harris Interactive (News - Alert), the results show a strong gain in confidence among IT workers on the strength of the economy, the availability of jobs, and their own ability to find a new job. As a result of the confidence boost, more IT pros say they’re likely to search for a new job over the next year.

Among those surveyed, 38 percent believe the economy is getting stronger, compared with 32 percent in the first quarter. Although 49 percent still believe fewer jobs are available today, that’s better than 68 percent in the first quarter. Further, 37 percent of the IT pros questioned say they’ll be on the lookout for new career opportunities over the next 12 months, an increase of five percentage points from the first quarter.

The rise in confidence is a clue to Technisource that tech workers may benefit from the economic recovery more than those in other industries. Throughout the recession, many businesses had to put a freeze on new jobs, postpone new technology projects, and learn to do more with less. As the economy struggles to revive, Technisource expects IT to deploy new technologies to increase performance, including VoIP and Windows 7. As a result, companies are starting to invest in new staff, albeit on a contingent basis.

The survey for Technisource’s Q2 2010 IT Employment Report was conducted online in the U.S. between April 12 to 14, May 10 to 12, and June 16 to 18, 2010 (PDF). Around 4,367 employed adults were surveyed, including 241 who work in information technology positions.