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Info tech staffing on the rebound

• By Stephen Swoyer
• January 30, 2006

According to the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses, IT staffing levels rebounded strongly in 2005, marking a return to form to the post-salad days of 2001. According to the NACCB, a trade association sponsored by prominent IT staffing firms, U.S. IT employment reached 3,527,700 in 2005.

That's slightly higher than in 2001, when 3,527,100 IT professionals were employed. It's almost 200,000 better than the IT job market's lowest point--2002--when employment dropped to 3,339,500.

NACCB principals expect smooth sailing for 2006, too. "Based on reports of IT staffing companies citing high demand for their services, we believe employment in IT staffing is up markedly," says NACCB CEO Mark Roberts.

The numbers aren't all rosy, however. The rate of IT hiring actually declined last year. In 2004, for example, U.S. IT employment stood at 3,522,900--a 4.5 percent improvement over 2003's performance. From 2004 to 2005, the IT hiring rate grew by a paltry 0.13 percent. That's even worse than the year-over-year increase from 2002 to 2003 of 0.89 percent.

"In light of the downward pressure on IT employment following Y2K, the bursting of the Tech Bubble, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2001 recession, I am heartened by the 2005 employment figures evidencing strong employment growth in IT," Roberts concludes.

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