Some Job Opportunities Target The EmployedSome Job Opportunities Target The Employed

Is the recession really over? If you consider the economic definition of recession, two back-to-back quarters of negative growth in gross domestic product, then it's over. The latest GDP numbers estimate 1.6% growth for the first quarter of 2003, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Many people, however, believe that being employed is the surest sign of a recovery. The U.S. unemployment rate for March came in at 5.8%, the same as February's, yet people are still looking for jobs.

information Research's sixth annual National IT Salary Survey, a study of more than 15,000 IT professionals, found that while IT jobs in general are scarce, headhunters are looking for skilled IT professionals to fill specific vacancies. Headhunters contacted three out of 10 IT staffers and two out of five IT managers about possible employment opportunities in the last 12 months.

It's interesting to note that only 9% of staff and 8% of managers are actively looking for a new position, while a third of staff members and managers say they might consider a new job if the right one came along.

In the past few years, changing jobs was a good way to increase salaries and compensation. While it's still lucrative in some cases, the majority of companies are placing more value on IT staff veterans. Staffers who have been at their jobs a year or less earn an average of $3,000 less than staffers who've been on the job more than a year. For IT managers, changing jobs is paying off, albeit moderately, with rookie managers earning an average of $1,000 more than veterans. IT staffers who joined their companies in the past year got an average 0.8% increase in base pay, while managers received 0.3%.

The real question is why headhunters are approaching employed IT professionals when there are skilled people looking for employment. Let us know what you think at the E-mail address below.

Lisa Smith
Managing Editor, Research
[email protected]

Stepping Down
What would influence you to accept a lesser position or job title?

Some employed IT managers and staffers are considering new positions with lower-level titles and less responsibility, according to information Research's National IT Salary Survey. For more than half of IT staff and management, a chance at increased job satisfaction could make them take a lesser position or title.