IT Pros Less Optimistic About Jobs In JuneIT Pros Less Optimistic About Jobs In June

Although IT hiring remains steady, tech professionals were less confident about jobs again in June, according to the latest monthly phone survey by staffing and outsourcing firm Hudson.

Compared to a base score of 100, job optimism among the 400-plus IT and telecom pros Hudson surveyed in June dropped for the second consecutive month, to 104.3, from 112.3 in May.

Still, IT pros overall remained more upbeat about their jobs than the approximately 9,000 workers across other industries Hudson surveyed. Nationally, workers across all sectors rated their job confidence at 101.2, down nearly six points since May, when optimism clocked in at 106.9.

The summer months are typically a slower season, said Tim Bosse, a Hudson executive VP, in an interview. However, while Hudson still sees a good, steady pace for hiring tech talent, especially Java and Web developers and IT managers, the perception of those responding to the survey may be that hiring is slacking off in other parts of the organization, he said.

Also, decision-makers within organizations are taking more time deciding whether to hire full-time workers for the third and fourth quarters. "It's a tight market, and decision-makers aren't rushing to make decisions [about full-time talent] until they see what their Q3 and Q4 projects will look like," Bosse said.

There's been a slight up-tick in tech pay in some smaller markets such as Denver, compared with larger cities like New York and Chicago.

"In Colorado, biotech and pharmaceutical companies are starting to take some hold there," Bosse said, "so pay is rising," especially because of the lower cost of living compared with other hot biotech cities, including Boston and San Francisco.