More Supply Than Demand for Technology Workers

The laws of supply and demand are in full effect.

Despite there being a slight gain in technology consulting jobs according to government data, the latest Dice Report for June is not a pretty picture. Dice is a technology job board that is used by many technology recruiters, hiring managers and general techie workers looking for employment opportunities.

If you thought getting a new gig in 2009 was going to be easy, think again.

Here’s the gist:

• Time to fill open positions is at a snail’s pace
• Big uptick in people looking for work
• Tech unemployment is up at 4.9 percent
• Those getting hired are seeing similar or lower salaries than last year
• More layoffs are expected

So while hiring is slow, more and more candidates are competing for what open positions are out there. The spokesperson in the Dice Report, Tom Silver, points out that it’s not surprising the companies are being selective, but that “more than 90 percent of respondents indicated they have at least one hard to find skill set or position to fill. This potentially equates to solid demand when the economy turns upward.”

Not sure the logic there is totally sound, but I understand the inclination to give something positive in the report. IT has been through recessions before and will come back. However, it’s hard to see it now for the rest of 2009.

Let’s hope it gets a little better.