Communications of the ACM
It Sector Adds Jobs Despite Economic Turmoil
New statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor show that the IT profession may be stronger than the rest of the job market. Although 240,000 jobs were lost nationwide in October, the IT profession actually grew during this period, with about 5,500 jobs being added to computer systems design and related services, and another 300 being added to management and technical consulting services. Foote Partners CEO David Foote says the growth of the IT industry at a time when most other industries are shrinking demonstrates the health of the industry today. In contrast, during the economic downturn earlier this decade, many IT jobs were cut. The difference between then and now is that today large portions of the IT budget are tied to lines of business, and companies think about IT and how it relates to profit, instead of simply as an expense, Foote says. He says many IT professionals are now knowledge workers and not just systems maintenance or programming workers. Nevertheless, he cautions that highly paid IT senior and middle-management positions are still vulnerable because of their higher salaries. Between January and July of this year, the U.S. high-tech industry added 78,300 jobs, a significant decrease from the 111,400 tech jobs added during the same period in 2007.
From Network World
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