Job Growth Out WestJob Growth Out West

IT workers in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California may have a better shot at landing a job in the next few months than those in other parts of the country. A recent survey of 1,400 CIOs by Robert Half Technology found that hiring in those regions is expected to increase by 15% in the first quarter, while the expected increase nationwide is 8%. Biotechnology, financial-services, real-estate, and health-care companies will offer the most opportunities. CIOs are most interested in workers specializing in network security, or those who can design and build customer data warehouses. Starting salaries are projected to fall an average of 1.3% in the coming year.