IT Hiring Better in 2010?

All signs point to the recession abating in 2010, and the evidence, as some are saying, is coming from IT departments and IT budgets. Janco Associates's latest study of IT salaries for 2010 shows companies "are initiating hiring and spending freezes, along with layoffs of IT personnel, in mid-management and IT support roles." On the latter part, we're talking mainly about the folks who do most of the work, so who's left?

Janco sees salaries flattening rather than continuing a downward trend, which might be that glimmer that we all hope will trickle to other job segments at some point. But the study also sees most company putting off or cutting out new projects and initiatives, which means most companies are maintaining some sort of survival mode spending.

But then Computer Economics releases a report that calls out the naysayers and says any recession talk should remain with those bad memories of 2009. Their report shows companies who plan to spend has jumped from 11 percent in 2009 to 52 percent in 2010. As for IT workers, "only 7 per cent of those polled said they would make staff layoffs in 2010, and 39 per cent were optimistic that they would add people in the coming year."

Of course, these numbers are predictive and the CE report sampled only 139 companies.

If you could see me, I'm basically tossing my hands up in confusion when I read these reports. The reality is, I continue to get e-mail and comments on blogs in which MCPmag.com readers tell me that they've either been let go at their company or that they've had their salary or bonus cut this year. But then again, that could just indicate that those with jobs and cushy salaries don't gloat much by writing to me.

This looks like a good opportunity to ask you to take a poll, so check this out...

Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/06/2010 at 4:59 PM