Careers Slideshow:
IT Job Market to Improve in 2012

While it might be premature to say that happy days are here again, the job market for tech professionals is looking sunnier for the first half of 2012, according to a recent survey of IT-focused hiring managers and recruiters by Dice.com. The majority of respondents said they plan to hire more IT talent during the first half of 2012, and that those IT pros are likely to command higher salaries. This is good news for CIOs and other senior tech managers, many of whom have struggled to balance having fewer employees and increasing organizational demands. Yet finding the right kind of highly skilled job candidate continues to be a challenge as proven performers may choose to remain in their current jobs. "The pace of improvement has been impacted by broader economic concerns," says Alice Hill, managing director of Dice.com. "Many companies are chasing mid-career talent. But the elevated economic uncertainty makes it tougher for hiring managers to lure tech professionals into leaving their current positions." Nearly 1,200 IT-focused hiring managers and recruiters took part in the research. Dice.com is a leading hub for IT professionals. Here are highlights from the survey: