Demand for information technology workers is at a four-year low, according to a survey from the Information Technology Association of America

Demand for information technology workers is at a four-year low, according to a survey from the Information Technology Association of America, but this could be good news for federal agencies. The ITAA survey found that firms predicted they would need to fill about 493,000 IT positions during the next 12 months. This is down from 1.2 million at the start of 2000 and less than one-half of the predicted 1.1 million positions needed at the start of 2002. Sixty-seven percent of those interviewed said they thought the hiring demand would stay the same or decline over the next 12 months. The numbers are disappointing, but could represent a positive turn of events for agencies, said Harris Miller, president of ITAA. The ITAA survey also found that firms are outsourcing more jobs overseas, which may account for some drop in demand for IT workers, particularly among IT companies. Twelve percent of IT companies and 3 percent of non-IT companies say they have already opened up overseas operations. The survey is based on a telephone poll of 400 hiring managers in IT and non-IT firms, conducted between March 27 and April 15, 2003.