High-technology firms have cut their hiring estimates for this year by 27 percent as a result of a sputtering technology sector, according to a survey released on Monday.
The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) survey found that the number of people working in the information-technology industry grew by a net 85,437 from January, to 9,981,353.
But the survey also found that hiring managers have adjusted their 12-month hiring outlook. In January, these individuals indicated their intent to fill 1,148,639 IT positions over the year, but by July, the demand had dropped by 27 percent to 834,727.
At the same time, the study found that the rate of hirings to dismissals of IT workers improved substantially over the previous 12 months, moving to a net gain compared to all of last year, in which dismissals exceeded hirings.
"The survey results are one more indication that where the overall economy may be recovering, the IT marketplace is still coping with recession," said ITAA president Harris Miller.
"Hiring managers appear to be less bullish than at the start of the year -- even as many forecasters have predicted an IT industry turnaround next year," Miller said. "My concern is that a sluggish job market today could turn off many prospective information systems and computer science students, resulting in rampant IT talent shortages a few years down the road."
The ITAA said that the job market appears to be stabilizing for high-tech workers, with the number of layoffs falling to 116,000 per month in the first six months of the year from 218,000 last year.
"This suggests that companies may have made the cuts necessary to their IT worker rolls and current employment levels are in tune with current economic realities."
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