Amid Corporate Layoffs, Sorely Needed Tech Jobs Still Go Unfilled; META Group's Annual Staffing Study Finds Shortfall of 600,000 Technology Workers.

Business Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2001

META Group (NASDAQ:METG)

MEDIA ADVISORY

I.T. Staffing Expert Available for Interview

In the midst of layoffs affecting both technology and traditional employers, an annual survey of 500 large American corporations finds employers struggling to fill some 600,000 information technology (IT) positions.

Evidence of the continuing, high-tech labor shortage emerged in preliminary findings of an annual technology workforce and compensation report conducted by the META Group (NASDAQ:METG), a worldwide, IT research and advisory firm based in Stamford, Connecticut.

The study - titled "2001 IT Staffing and Compensation Guide" - was authored by IT staffing/labor analyst Maria Schafer, who serves as META Group's program director for executive services. Ms. Schafer - whose research responsibilities focus on IT human capital management, staffing, and compensation strategies -- is available for interviews to discuss IT workforce and compensation trends revealed by the report. The full study is scheduled to be published on May 22.

Maria Schafer is also available as an "expert for comment" on IT staffing and compensation issues.

Other key META Group study findings include:

- There's an unmet demand for specific IT skills. Skills in greatest demand
include networking, web development, Java, Oracle, database, Inter-, intra- and
extranet skills, wireless, and telecommuter and remote worker support skills

- The value of a tech job has accelerated very rapidly. 68 percent of
respondents pay IT employees 10-20 percent more than their non-IT counterparts,
compared with only 42 percent of companies doing so last year

- IT pay is the biggest concern. Respondents' top three concerns are: managing
IT compensation costs; expanding business and infrastructure development; and
managing and expanding e-business development

- There is reduced concern over retention. 60 percent believe retention
continues to be a serious issue, versus 77 percent in 2000; 40 percent no
longer see it as their dominant concern, versus 24 percent in 2000

- More IT workers get bonuses. 60 percent offer bonuses to IT employees, which
represents an increase of 10 percentage points over 2000

- Turnover remains a problem. Turnover in IT jobs abated slightly since last
year, though it continues to be relatively high, at an average of 10 percent;
this is a drop of one percentage point from 2001

Members of the media interested in speaking with analyst Maria Schafer should contact George Medici ([e-mail]) or Steve Vitoff ([e-mail]) at 212-481-7000.

About META Group

META Group is a leading research and consulting firm, focusing on information technology and business transformation strategies. Delivering objective, consistent, and actionable guidance, META Group enables organizations to innovate more rapidly and effectively. Our unique collaborative models help clients succeed by building speed, agility, and value into their IT and business systems and processes. Connect with www.metagroup.com for more details.