Report forecasts growth in IT

A quarterly analysis of the job market for information technology professionals in Westchester showed little growth during the third quarter, but the report”™s authors still see strong prospects for IT management.

The Pace SkillProof IT Index is administered by Pace University faculty and tracks job openings in Westchester and New York City.

During the third quarter, the index registered 158 for Westchester, slightly above the second quarter”™s rating of 156. However, it rose by more than 12 percent compared to the third quarter of 2010.

The index estimates that in 2008 there were 293,000 computer and information systems managers working in the U.S., a number that is projected to increase by 17 percent to 342,500 by 2018.

In Westchester, the demand for IT professionals has been boosted by a rapid increase in the number of Internet-based “cloud” applications and the popularity of social media among area companies, said Farrokh Z. Hormozi, one of the report”™s authors and a professor at Pace”™s White Plains campus.

With social media playing an increasing role in business and with some companies slow to adapt to the rapidly changing technology field, Hormozi said he sees a wealth of opportunities within the IT management sector.

He said much of the demand would likely come from the financial sector. Additionally, he said it would shift from technology development to support as companies start to use applications already on the market.

“The data indicates that the demand is moving toward providing assistance or providing teaching opportunities,” Hormozi said.

Nationally, almost 20 percent of all newly created jobs are in the IT management field, according to the report, with the unemployment rate for the IT field sitting below 5 percent.