IT-Review

Windows IT Pro Magazine Projects Growth in IT Jobs Next Year

The largest growth in IT jobs is projected to take place in companies with less than 1,000 employees.

"Our survey results parallel what IT industry-analysis sources have recently observed about IT jobs," said Janet Robbins, editor-in-chief of Windows IT Pro magazine a Penton Media property. "For the most part, IT companies are either maintaining or increasing the number of IT jobs." Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents (61 percent) say that their company plans to maintain the current number of IT jobs. Twenty-eight percent say their company plans to increase the number of IT jobs, and only 11 percent say their company plans to scale back IT jobs.

The smallest companies, defined as those with less than 1,000 employees, have the most robust outlook for IT hiring. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed at small companies say that their firm plans to either increase (35 percent) or maintain (64 percent) the number of IT jobs in the coming year. The larger the company, the more curtailed its IT hiring plans: the IT pros in large companies (25,000 or more employees) project a number 17% lower in the hiring and maintenance of IT jobs next year.

Outsourcing continues to be a highly charged issue in the industry. More than one-third (35.9%) of respondents work for a company that currently outsources IT jobs. Another 9% said their company plans to outsource in the future.

The opinion of the individual IT professional about outsourcing, however, is mixed, and management's view is different from that of IT workers. Only 18 percent of executive and IT management said they were worried abut losing their jobs to outsourcing. "This isn't surprising," said Robbins. "At least half the survey respondents reported that IT managers are the ones making the decision to outsource." However, nearly 54 percent of Web administrators are losing sleep over outsourcing, and the stress levels go up if a company is already outsourcing or planning to outsource.

Readers of SQL Server Magazine, a component of the Windows IT Pro group published for IT pros who use SQL Server, were also optimistic about the growth of jobs at their companies. Fifty-five percent of respondents to the SQL Server Magazine Survey 2004 said their company plans to maintain the current level of IT jobs, 32% said their company plans to increase IT jobs, and only 12% felt their company would be scaling back IT jobs in the coming year.

Windows IT Pro conducted its 75-question Windows IT Pro Industry Survey 2004 from August 10 through August 24, 2004, surveying readers of the magazine. A total of 2,722 IT pros participated in the survey. Windows IT Pro developed the survey questions, and TechSurveys.com designed and conducted the Web-based survey. SQL Server Magazine conducted its 113-question industry and salary survey from August 23 through September 10, 2004. A total of 778 SQL Server professionals responded to the survey.

A full discussion of the results of both surveys can be found in the December issues of Windows IT Pro magazine and SQL Server Magazine.

Source: press release

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