CIOs anticipate a rise in IT hiring in the first quarter of 2007, according to the IT Hiring and Skills Report released Dec. 11 by Robert Half Technology, a tech placement firm based in Menlo Park, Calif.

Sixteen percent of executives polled plan to add IT staff in the next three months and only 2 percent anticipate cutbacks. The expected net 14 percent hiring increase is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2001, and is up four percentage points from the previous quarter's forecast.

For more on a related topic, see Reports Indicate Healthy 2007 for IT

CIOs cited a range of factors contributing to the anticipated increase in Q1 IT hiring. Thirty-five percent of CIOs reported business growth as the reason for the expected hiring increase, while 26 percent cited an increased demand for customer and/or user support professionals.

Twenty-one percent responded that the increased need for the installation or development of new enterprise-wide applications was a primary factor driving IT hiring.

"A low unemployment rate, combined with ongoing demand for highly skilled professionals, is resulting in a strong need for IT specialists at all levels," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology.

Read the full story on eWeek.com: CIOs Anticipate Hiring to Hit Five-Year High

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