IT hiring on the rise, according to CIOs

Although IS/IT shops in every corner of Corporate America lament the current IT labor shortage, many CIOs say that IT hiring is alive and well. According to a new survey from RHI Consulting (Menlo Park, CA), 31% of CIOs plan to add IT staff in the next three months; only 4% forecast reductions in their IT workforce. The study, which polled 1,400 CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees, reveals that nearly two-thirds of CIOs plan to keep IT personnel levels as they are. Other info-nuggets from the study: The East North Central states top the list of projected hiring activity, as 37% predict new personnel in the next quarter (net hiring increase of 35%). The Middle Atlantic and Pacific regions each forecast a net hiring increase of 31% during the next three months. Fifty-six percent of CIOs in the finance, insurance and real estate sector plan to add IT personnel in the second quarter; only 2% anticipate cutbacks. The retail (net 36%), transportation (net 30%) and manufacturing (net 28%) industries are also expected to see an increase in IT hiring exceeding the national average.