The Information Technology industry added 13,300 jobs in January, bringing the total number of IT jobs in the U.S. to an all-time high of 4.1 million, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.

Citing information from TechServe Alliance's index of IT Jobs, the article states that IT employment is at its highest level since 2008 when there were 4,088,600 IT jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that IT employment was up 3.4 percent in 2011.

Some of the recruiters we work with have observed that IT seems to have bounced back much quicker than the rest of the economy. This could be because many companies put off upgrades during the recession, so IT was their top priority when the economy improved. For that reason, many turned to contractors because they didn't want to commit to direct-hires.  

In general, IT is well-suited to contract staffing because it is often project-based, so talent is only needed for a specific amount of time. Also, many IT professionals prefer a more flexible schedule and telecommuting arrangements, which are more common with contract assignments. So as IT hiring continues to increase, contract staffing is likely to surge as well! 

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.