| October 2006 |
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| The technology job market continues to show steady growth |
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It was a hot summer in Atlanta, and many are now predicting an even better fall.
“I can’t remember a time when the tech job market was as healthy as it is right now,” said Larry Bruce, vice president of IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies. “I haven’t seen it slowing, and there are still an ample number of jobs looking to be filled.”
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That’s also what David Goran, an experienced systems architect with an impressive resume, found out after posting his resume on Dice.
“Two days after posting my resume I had two offers, both at my asking rate,” Goran said. He was able to pick the job that was both closest to his home and the most technically challenging for his skill set, he added.
Goran isn’t alone in finding success in the Atlanta technology job market. As the regional economy grows and local businesses continue to innovate, the number of IT positions has steadily increased in the region.
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| Atlanta-area employers expect to hire at a strong pace during the fourth quarter of 2006. |
| - The quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey |
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Job listings on Dice jumped an impressive 18% during a three-month period in the first quarter of 2006, and after a second-quarter slide, there has been a steady overall increase through the summer. Third-quarter listings in the Atlanta metro area jumped from 2,327 in July to 2,484 in September. Meanwhile, the Hudson Employment Index, a measure of overall employee optimism and confidence, pegs Atlanta as the hottest of the 12 markets it measures, up 25% over the past year.
Meanwhile, IT staffing consultancy Robert Half Technology reported that its fourth-quarter IT Hiring Index found a net 10% of Atlanta CIOs plan to make new hires this quarter.
And the quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found that Atlanta-area employers expect to hire at a strong pace during the fourth quarter of 2006. From October to December, 25% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while only 2% expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Beth Herman. “In the Atlanta area, hiring intentions are similar to those reported in the third quarter, when 22% of the companies interviewed intended to add staff, and none planned to reduce headcount,” said Herman. “Employers have more positive hiring intentions than they did a year ago when 27% of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely.”
“Atlanta’s IT marketplace continues to thrive,” said Scot Melland, CEO of Dice. “There’s no reason to doubt that the steady growth we’ve been seeing won’t continue.” Job hunters take note: the most sought-after IT skills right now on Dice include Java, SAP and Oracle.
As previously reported by Dice, a Dice survey found that the annual average salary for IT professionals in the Atlanta area was $75,000 in 2005, almost $10,000 more than their colleagues in the Southeast, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
If you would like to be interviewed for the next Dice market report, or if you have comments about this article, please contact us at feedback@dice.com.
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