The demand for skilled talent in tech and IT remains high in mid-2024. That means employers must intensify their efforts to hire and retain both long-term and short-term talent if they want to meet their hiring goals in the months ahead.
It helps to know which roles are in highest demand so you can prepare to compete effectively for top candidates — and understand where to amplify retention efforts within your organization.
Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report can equip you with that insight. It highlights the latest data from surveys of hiring managers and our analysis of thousands of job postings to help you make informed hiring and management decisions.
Let’s look at what we learned from our research for the midyear update of our report.
The job market for software applications and development professionals remains resilient, according to an analysis of a proprietary dataset of more than 3.5 million U.S. job postings, including 60,000 Robert Half placements.
With over 450,000 new software applications and development jobs posted throughout the last six months, competition for top talent in these roles has been fierce. The demand for consulting and enterprise systems as well as AI, machine learning and data science roles also grew. Both areas saw twice as many job postings in the first half of 2024 compared with the first half of 2023.
Most technology positions tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics have seen unemployment rates trending well below the national rate of 4.1% as of June 2024. For example, the unemployment rate for systems managers in Q2 2024 was 1.2%. For database administrators and architects, it was 2.2%.
Explore our Demand for Skilled Talent report to see what specializations employers need most.
Technology leaders and their teams have a daunting list of strategic priorities that require their focus this year, including AI, machine learning and automation; technology modernization; and cloud computing initiatives.
Hiring managers trying to help their organizations build future-forward tech teams report that they are encountering increasing competition for skilled talent, particularly for roles in the following areas:
Software engineering and development
Cloud, database, and systems engineering and administration
End-user support
Meanwhile, fewer professionals are actively searching for jobs. Robert Half’s research shows that the Big Stay is in effect, with only 35% of U.S. workers planning to look for a new job in the second half of 2024. That’s down from 49% during the same period last year.
While 90% of hiring managers in tech and IT said they face challenges finding skilled candidates in today’s hiring environment, many aim to recruit talent for their organizations in the second half of 2024.
Well over half of tech and IT managers surveyed (58%) said they plan to expand their teams and staff both new and vacated positions. Fifty-eight percent reported that they need to hire candidates for entry-level roles, and 48% are looking to bring in talent for management positions.
To help augment their permanent teams, 60% of technology managers plan to increase their use of contract professionals in the second half of 2024, especially for roles in:
AI and machine learningSecurity, privacy and complianceSoftware and applications development
Future-forward measures, such as providing flexible work arrangements and the ability to learn and work with emerging technology like AI, can help companies attract and keep in-demand professionals. So, too, can providing more traditional offerings that many employees value today, such as:
Competitive compensation, including compelling perks and benefits
Opportunities for career advancement and professional development
Programs and policies that promote a healthy work-life balance (our workplace research shows one-third of professionals are experiencing high levels of burnout)
Employers may also want to consider engaging resources like specialized recruiters to find the tech and IT talent they need for their teams, including passive job seekers prepared to make a move for the right opportunity and high-potential candidates willing to be trained.
Want more insights? Check out the full midyear update of Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report.
The Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half is an authoritative source providing essential insights into employment trends. This report has offered a deep dive into the U.S. hiring landscape for over a decade, spotlighting challenges and strategies to attract and retain talent. It explores what employees seek in their careers, identifies common recruitment errors and suggests solutions. The report spans finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources, proving crucial for business leaders and managers.
