HOLLAND – For the first time since 2011, fewer than half of West Michigan companies surveyed will be increase their information technology staffs during the next six months. This news comes from Paragon Recruiting in its semi-annual survey of IT staff hiring.
The government and education sector showed the largest drop in expected hiring, from 53 percent for the first half of this year to 27 percent for the second half. Could this be due to election year jitters for tax-dependent employers, asked Paragon Chief Recruiting Officer Beth DeWilde.
Manufacturers indicated a similar decline, from 57 percent to 38 percent. This certainly agrees with John Wiegand’s recent article in MiBiz discussing the maturing business cycle in West Michigan.
Computer business itself seems to be maturing, survey results indicated. Computer consulting as a sector always reports high percentages of IT hiring, but the number of companies represented has grown smaller as some consulting companies metamorphose into professional service companies. An amazing variety of services are available from the ingenious tech companies of West Michigan.
Although just over a quarter of responding companies are increasing IT salaries, two-thirds of these companies said they plan to hire new tech workers. Job openings are primarily for mid-level workers skilled in applications and support.
“We continue to be busy searching for candidates with specific skill sets,” DeWilde said. “We have more companies using contract workers for special projects than has been the case in recent years.”
Since 2003, Paragon Recruiting has surveyed senior IT managers in the West Michigan market to determine what the future holds for IT staffing and pay rates. Each forecast – summer and winter – includes responses from about 100 companies. Some 80 percent have participated for many years.
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