Tech employment shrinks for fifth straight month

[OhioChick]

Source: ComputerWorld

Recruiters say U.S. firms should resume hiring IT workers by year's end

May 25, 2009 12:01 AM ET

Computerworld - The number of IT workers in the U.S. has declined steadily since December, a trend that wasn't helped by Hewlett Packard Co.'s announcement last week that it is cutting 6,000 employees..

Employment in technology occupations peaked last November at 4.058 million, according to the TechServe Alliance (formerly the National Association of Computer Consultants), which analyzes federal labor data on IT-related occupations. By the end of April, the number had declined to 3.87 million, the alliance said.

IT recruiters are mostly optimistic that the end of the decline is in sight, though most agree that the IT labor force will continue to shrink through the summer, typically a period of slower hiring because of vacations.

"I think we are definitely going to see a solid year of decline," said Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe. And when companies start hiring, they will likely hire contract labor before permanent staff "because people are going to be cautious coming out of a painful recession." (Computerworld layoff tracker)

Companies "are still cutting and I think there will be some more cuts," said Steve Watson, international chairman and managing director of recruiting firm Stanton Chase International in Dallas. But Watson also noted that he is optimistic that hiring will resume by the end of 2009 due to a pent-up demand for corporate and government IT projects.

Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9133424

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Quote: "I think we are definitely going to see a solid year of decline," said Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe.

Just wonderful....

[mth44sc]

1. tech employment

has been on the decline for the past 5 years - at least...

[OhioChick]

3. Can't argue there. n/t

[merwin]

8. Where do you get that from?

At least in WA everything was great until 2008
.

[OhioChick]

9. "everything was great until 2008"

Everything looks great when you can only see out of your window.

[Optical.Catalyst]

12. It was great in the defense industries the Bush Administration had on the gravy train

Fruits of an illegal war in Iraq are money in the pockets of the likes of Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and General Dynamics.

[high density]

14. Well not everybody has a Redmond, WA to draw tech companies in

The tech job market has been crap since the bubble popped a decade ago. Since then it has been the offshoring express.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. I thought this recession was over!?!?

what happened? :sarcasm:

[ihavenobias]

4. Well said. n/t

[Skittles]

5. they're still hiring in Brazil, India, China

:mad:

[AlphaCentauri]

6. No kidding

http://profit.ndtv.com/2009/05/24212809/IT-firms-find-payroll-outsourc.html

[DavidDvorkin]

7. I'm one of those workers

as of a week ago.

Feeling very worried, right now.

[eggplant]

10. Welcome.

I joined the ranks on 4/13. The times are tough indeed.

[cascadiance]

11. Was right between you two at the end of April..

Yea, it's not looking good.

[Larkspur]

13. I preceded you

Was laid off in November 2008

[OhioChick]

15. Many of you already laid off......

I'm barely keeping my job now......yet "they" say there are no qualified Americans to do the job. What bullshit, but hey...we already knew that.

I hope that you and the others up-thread find something soon. :hug:

[Canuckistanian]

16. Out of work since March

And before that, only short term contract positions. And even they were "technology transfer" jobs, primarily concerned with outsourcing and moving production and R&D overseas to China.

An I keep getting pissed off when I hear of governments scrambling to save AUTOWORKERS' jobs, when we have a major employment disaster in hi-tech jobs.

Here in Ottawa, over 9,000 hi-tech people are unemployed or underemployed like me. Yet we NEVER get a mention from politicians.

/rant off