Many tech jobs will go unfilled, report finds

CHICAGO — The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) dramatically broadened its definition of IT workers this week, and instantly widened the statistical gap between the number of available skilled workers and job openings that need to be filled. A recent ITAA survey found there are just over 10 million IT workers in the United States, and that roughly half of the 1.6 million job openings that will be generated this year will go unfilled.

The ITAA report follows a study released by the White House on Tuesday that called engineers “essential to both the private and public sectors,” and stressed the need to retrain the U.S. work force to fill a growing number of high-tech jobs.

But the ITAA report solidified worries over economic growth in the tech sector and touched off a new volley in the debate over H-1B visas for high-tech workers. The report's 10 million figure and the estimated worker shortfall are both substantially higher than in all previous studies, observers and ITAA spokesmen said, mainly because the ITAA turned its eye to sectors not normally queried.

The ITAA surveyed hiring managers at 700 large and small companies, ferreting out networking and Web-related positions at non-technical firms that aren't generally included by others who watch the job market, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also broadened the categories, spanning eight types of positions ranging from programmer or network designer/administrator to technical writer or technical support personnel.

“We reject the traditional approach, it does not describe today's IT-driven economy,” said Harris Miller, president of the ITAA. “There are a lot of companies that have networks and need one, two or even five or 10 IT workers. No one else has ever surveyed small business before.”

The finding that 843,328 jobs will be unfilled is expected to be a key component in the current Congressional proposals to increase the number of H1-B visas granted to skilled foreign workers. The first ITAA study, in 1998, which found there were 346,000 unfilled positions, was influential in an earlier push to increase the H1-B quota.

Underscoring the link between the study and the H1-B issue, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R, Ill.) addressed the ITAA Workforce Convocation where the study was unveiled. “I am committed to working with you to enact a bill that will address your needs,” said Hastert. “We will have a vote on this bill before Congress leaves Washington on Memorial Day.”

However, the ITAA down played the H1-B link, saying that the study is designed to further the understanding of the IT industry and its work force requirements.

Short-term solution

“H1-Bs are a Band-Aid, we have to deal with the problem in both the short term and long term,” Miller said. “Even if Congress is magnanimous enough to approve the 200,000 level this year, a year from now we'll still have a shortage. H1-B is not the answer, it's part of a short-term coping strategy. Whether we get the 1-B increase or not, we're going to focus on improving the supply of skilled workers.”

The survey looked at the type of training hiring managers most desire in a technical worker. Formal, on-the-job training at the company topped the list, with 84 percent of the respondents citing it. That's well above the ratings for academic experience only: Four-year colleges and private schools got the nod from 48 and 45 percent, respectively.

Tech support is the leading area for job openings, with demand expected to hit 616,055 this year. Database development/administration is a distant second, at 271,487. Programming/software engineering is next at 213,890, followed by network designer/administrator, with 165,585 openings. The survey predicts a need for 161,301 Web developers/administrators.

By region, the South has the highest number of IT positions, 3.4 million, followed by the Midwest with 2.9 million. The West and Northeast have 2.2 and 1.5 million IT jobs. Demand for new employees is greatest in the Midwest, where 566,530 workers are needed, against 454,543 in the West and 310,346 in the South.

— Additional reporting by George Leopold