Little Change Seen in Q2 IT Hiring

CIOs are planning to increase IT hiring by 10 percent next quarter, a decrease of one percentage point from the current quarter, according to a recent survey by RHI Consulting, a division of Robert Half International Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif.

The national poll–which included responses from more than 1,400 CIOs–found that, while 14 percent of executives plan to expand their IT departments, 4 percent expect staff reductions. The majority of CIOs–81 percent of those surveyed–plan no change in hiring activity.

“Businesses remain cautious in their hiring efforts,” said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of RHI Consulting. “Companies are primarily focused on technology initiatives that offer bottom-line benefits, such as operating efficiencies, reduced spending over the long-term or increased productivity.”

CIOs in western, southern and central states reported the highest projected increase in staffs, with 19 percent planning to add staff and 3 percent anticipating cutbacks. New England corporations also showed optimism with 18 percent of technology executives expecting to add staff and only 2 percent predicting cutbacks, according to RHI.

So in which industries should IT professionals be looking for jobs? The construction industry is expected to see the strongest technology hiring activity of any industry in the second quarter with 22 percent of CIOs planning to expand their IT staffs and 3 percent projecting layoffs. The business services sector is another good bet. Technology executives in finance, insurance and real estate, project a net 13 percent rise in hiring activity.