Demand for IT professionals in Canada has reached an “all-time high”, according to a report released yesterday by CNC Global Limited, an IT recruiting firm headquartered in Toronto.
The demand spike is a sure-fire sign companies are becoming more aware of the importance of technology, said CNC Global in a statement.
But it added that many companies “are also having difficulty filling [IT positions] due to shortages in the talent pool.”
CNC Global’s quarterly reports – titled IT Staffing Requirements in the Canadian Market – seek to identify key hiring trends among a broad spectrum of Canadian firms, from small and midsized businesses (SMBs) to blue chip companies.
The latest report notes that during the first quarter of 2007, the number of Canadian companies hiring IT staff reached an all-time high, surpassing demand levels experienced during the build up to Y2K.
The latest hiring numbers, the report says, reflect a 10 per cent increase over the previous quarter.
The surge in demand for IT professionals is a trend other industry insiders are experiencing as well.
We’re moving back to “a full employment rate for IT,” said Terri Joosten, CEO of Toronto based Career Door Inc., whose recruitment services include organizing of IT career fairs.
Joosten said with more than 600,000 IT professionals employed across the country, the market situation is akin to what it was prior to the year 2000 dot-com bust.
“It’s arguably even tighter,” said Joosten. “That’s because – since 2000 – a lot of the people who were unsuccessful in getting positions, left the marketplace to pursue other business opportunities.”
In addition, there aren’t as many students getting into hi-tech careers since the IT bubble burst in 2000, Joosten noted. In view of this, she said, it’s reasonable to believe the demand for IT professionals is even higher today than back then.
Not everybody, however, shares the view that there’s an IT skills crunch – or a hiring bonanza – in Canada.
