Software developers in generalas well as Java, mobile software and Microsoft .Net developers in particularare in short supply today. Those fields represent four of the top five most difficult positions IT managers are looking to fill, according to a survey of 866 technology-focused hiring managers and recruiters by Web-based IT jobs site Dice.com.
The fifth most difficult skill set to find was in the general area of security, followed by SAP developers, Microsoft Sharepoint specialists and Web developers. Active federal security clearance specialists and network engineering professionals rounded out the top 10. With so many developer positions remaining unfilled, there are several reasons the market isnt moving to bridge talent gaps, Dice research indicated.
In some cases, such as mobile developers, the market is expanding faster than the talent pool can adapt. That, in turn, impacts software developers who can fairly transition into the mobile space. Still, not all the positions or skill sets on the list are in the ‘sexiest’ corners of the tech employment market, the report noted. Technology hiring managers largely want journeymen, not apprentices. Asked for experience preference, corporate hiring managers most frequently say IT pros with two to five years in the workforce, followed by those with six to 10 years’ experience. Competition is fierce when companies are all chasing the same talent, making positions hard-to-fill.
As of July 2, Dices Website counts 84,940 available tech jobs, with 52,290 full-time positions, 36,157 contract positions and 1,677 part-time positions. The New York/New Jersey metro area led the country with 8,871 positions listed, down 9 percent from the same period last year. The Washington, D.C./Baltimore metro area placed second with a total of 8,334 positions available, up nine percent from the same period a year ago. Listings in Silicon Valley rose 6 percent, landing the area in third place with a total of 5,684 postings, followed by Chicago, which experienced a rise of 5 percent and boasted 3,900 listings.
Los Angeles followed, posting the largest gain in the top 10 metro areas at 14 percent, with a total of 3,551 jobs listed. Boston saw the number of available listings rise 4 percent to 3,421, while listings in Dallas spiked 10 percent, to hit 3,160. Atlanta, Seattle and Philadelphia rounded out the top 10 with 3,070, 2,810 and 2,344 listings, respectively. The overall unemployment rate for technology professionals is hovering around 3.5 percent, far lower than the national jobless rate, but unlikely to move much lower, as organizations remain cautious about making big hiring moves in an uncertain economic climate.