IT jobs market is still rocking

The good times in the technology sector look set to continue in 2007, with CIOs in the US, the largest market for computer geeks anticipating IT hiring in the first quarter of 2007, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report.

In a recent report, Robert Half Technology said 16 per cent of executives polled plan to add IT staff in the next three months and two per cent anticipate cutbacks. The net 14 per cent hiring increase, the highest since the fourth quarter of 2001, is up four percentage points from the previous quarter’s forecast.The national poll includes responses from more than 1,400 CIOs from a stratified random sample of US companies with 100 or more employees.Robert Half Technology said CIOs report business growth is the leading reason for increased IT hiring.

IT skills in demand

According to the report, Windows administration (Server 2000/2003) skills are in greatest demand, followed by network administration (Cisco, Nortel, Novell). "A low unemployment rate, combined with ongoing demand for highly skilled professionals, is resulting in a strong need for IT specialists at all levels," says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology."With employers competing for the best talent, recruitment and retention efforts remain priorities for industry executives, especially given anticipated new projects in the coming year," Mr Lee added.

Contactless payments

From the buoyancy in the IT jobs sector, let’s focus a bit on contactless payments. This is a fascinating new technology, which has been gaining some traction in recent times. What’s contactless payments? Well, you can make a purchase by tapping a teller’s till with your wallet or mobile phone, which could have an embedded RFID chip in them. The computer inside the till will take your tap as confirmation of payment and subtract the right amount from your account, according to silicon.com.

With adoption driven by some of the world’s largest card associations and banks, wireless operators and merchants, spending on contactless payments hardware and software will reach $870 million by 2011, up from just $260 million in 2006, amounting to a compound annual growth rate of 27 per cent, according to a new study from ABI Research. Two key applications are now driving adoption: proprietary transportation ticketing, and open credit, debit, and e-purse payments tied to financial service networks.