In the first six months of this year, the tech sector added 119,000 jobs, bringing the total number of workers in the industry to 6.3 million. The 119,000 new workers represent a 1.9 percent increase in technology hiring, which is slightly ahead of the 1.8 percent growth rate exhibited in the first half of 2013. This sounds like good news for the industry, but in comparison with the job market as a whole, it appears tech hiring is lagging. According to labor statistics, the growth rate in the overall workforce was 3.5 percent.
So why isn't technology hiring keeping pace with the rest of the job market, despite a seemingly growing need for technology support in numerous business sectors? Many analysts suggest that it's not that needs have lessened, but rather that the way businesses prefer to bring on tech talent has changed.
Todd Tribodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA, expressed this sentiment in a conversation with the online publication Fierce CIO.
"This is a reflection of one of the most significant micro trends shaping the industry right now–the on-going shift to an agile, on-demand, as-a-service model," he said.
There is a lot of truth to this, which is why organizations are increasingly reaching out to VARs and MSPs rather than bringing on IT people in-house. They want a partner who can solve a particular issue on demand, which VARs and MSPs can accommodate. However, they need individuals who can perform the tasks needed in their position at the rate in which they are required to do so. Although IT hiring may not be keeping up with the rest of the job market, it is still a highly competitive industry, so VARs and MSPs must ensure they are finding the right people to fill their open positions. VAR Staffing can help with this effort.
