| July 2006 |
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Although Hartford will forever be known as America’s insurance capital, its growing technology sector has IT professionals giving the city a closer look.
And tech executives are bullish on the regions job outlook.
From July to September, 48% of companies interviewed for the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey said they plan to hire more employees.
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“I wouldn’t say it’s booming but Hartford’s growth has been steady,” said Robert Dickey, senior vice president of Sapphire Technologies, an IT staffing firm headquartered in Boston. “There seems to be more suburban business opportunities there.”
The opportunities spread throughout the area in places like Simsbury and Glastonbury have often come in the form of large companies that have relocated headquarters to the area. Ultimately firms prefer the strong state economy, and comparatively reasonable home prices that work for their employees.
Companies outside the city, such as Pfizer, have huge corporate campuses and payrolls to match.
“Hartford is really a different animal,” Dickey said. “But there are definitely opportunities there.”
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| "There has been a hiring increase in the Hartford metro area over the past year" |
| - Scot Melland, Dice CEO |
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Tech professionals in the Hartford area reported earning an average salary of $72,600 in 2005, according to a survey by Dice, the leading technology career site. This was 3.3% more than the average U.S. tech salary of $70,300.
“There has been a hiring increase in the Hartford metro area over the past year,” said Scot Melland, Dice CEO. “And it certainly is a promising area for IT growth.”
Technology job listings on Dice for the Hartford area increased 22% during a three-month period that ended in June.
And it’s no longer just the certified IT worker commanding the big bucks, according to Foote Partners, an IT compensation and workforce management research firm.
“It’s an accelerating trend, the fact that IT skills without certification are growing in value 70% greater than certified skills over the past year,” said David Foote, president and chief research officer for Foote Partners. “While technical skills are still important, employers are not placing the same premium on certification of these skills they once did.”
On the national level, chief information officers expect to increase IT hiring in the third quarter of 2006, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. Of executives polled, 13% plan to add IT staff in the next three months and 3% anticipate cutbacks.
“Continued corporate expansion is prompting many CIOs to initiate new projects and expand hiring plans,” said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “As a result, competition for the most skilled candidates is increasing as hiring managers seek individuals who can support internal staff and assist with new development initiatives.”
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| Dice job postings in Hartford are up 49% since Jan. |
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