Study says IT is one of economy’s few bright spots

While many U.S. job-seekers are struggling to find employment, industry experts say that certain sectors — such as information technology — are experiencing growth and ride this economic roller coaster.

According to the 2009 Robert Half International Salary Guide, IT is one of the few bright spots in the job market, remaining relatively low in unemployment (less than 2 percent), which can be attributed to the proliferation of new technology and the need for professionals to support new technological initiatives.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections Report for 2006-2016, IT is among the top industries in projected wage and employment growth.

The report projects computer software engineers will see a 44 percent employment growth and network systems and data communications analysts will see a 53 percent employment growth over the period.

“Information technology is different from other fields. In today’s tough economy, companies want to keep their business both growing and running as cost efficiently as possible — and that means enhancing applications and infrastructure,” said Steve Appleby of New Horizons of Nashua, an independent IT training provider. “IT is unique because often times it can help fuel a company’s expansion, services and margin enhancement.”

Gartner Inc., an information technology research and advisory company, noted in an October article that “organizations now view IT as a way to transform their businesses and adopt operating models that are much leaner” and “IT is embedded in running all aspects of the business.”

“As witnessed by these recent reports, companies focused on an approach utilizing information technology are a significant component in many markets, and IT departments within these businesses are at the core of their operation,” Appleby said.