According to the National Association for Business Economics, one recent Business Week article announced that “Surveys Show that Fewer U.S. Companies Plan to Boost Hiring in 2012”. U.S. companies planning to hire people in the next six months fell to 27 percent, the lowest in at least five quarters, and 64 percent said employment will not change. On the other hand, some predictions are more optimistic, and project that the overall 2012 job market is improving, particularly for Information Technology related jobs.

Taking into consideration the US technology industry, which is prospering despite slow global economic activity, Relational IT strongly, believes in an improved employment outlook. As Mashable “Tech Hiring Trends 2012 -infographic” confirms, many job openings and opportunities are on the horizon for the IT industry, as technology seems to be the main driver of economic growth. Reports say that the top tech companies including Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft will hire an increasing number of mobile app developers, user experience designers, and data warehouse analysts in 2012.

In January Monster, a trusted resource, published its “2012 Technology Jobs Outlook”, which reports that in 2012, government mandates – in the form of regulatory requirements – will spur significant technology hiring. While industries in life sciences, telecom, transportation, infrastructure, and energy are also thought to be demanding IT professionals; the most wanted IT talent are in cloud computing, software deployment, mobile application development, CRM, and business intelligence across all business and industry segments.

Looking at IT industry trends, we think some of the most active technologies requiring people in 2012 will be:

Cloud Computing is now impacting the work processes across all industries, generating new skills demand, employment, and growth opportunities. Both for cloud computing providers such as Google or Amazon or for companies adopting cloud technologies, keen knowledge about migration, virtualization and disaster recovery are in high demand these days.

Mobile Content Development.  The market for mobile application development services, including application creation, management, distribution, and extension services has reached $20.5 billion in 2011 and is expected to expand further in 2012. For example, research2guidance reports that mobile healthcare applications for smartphones alone, will reach $1.3 billion in 2012 – up from $718 million in 2011. The most sought after skills are Java, PHP, Silverlight, and SharePoint.  Companies need people with these skills now.

Big Data.  Companies like Intel, Ford, Quintiles, Google, and Amazon have significantly increased employment in recent years. Analyzing, storing, and synthesizing large amounts of data are underpinning new waves of productivity growth and innovation. This is reflected in strong jobs growth trends. There are many data driven projects that need engineers and architects for companies to meet the client demand in all size organizations.

Many other technologies will push hiring in 2012 like security and PSIM technologies, while  Social Media Development will continue to have a positive impact on IT Professional’s work opportunities. Social media application development and integration with increasingly complex CRM systems will require focus and substantial budgets over the next few years.

Relational IT’s dynamic Social Business platform is connecting the best employers and technology with the brightest talent in the industry. Join our talented team of IT Consultants in Healthcare IT, Mobile, CRM, Cloud Computing, and Energy IT and allow the professionals at Relational IT to help you with exciting career perspectives for 2012.