Contractors Need Not Apply, Reveals IDG's Computerworld in Second-Quarter Hiring Survey; Demand for High-Tech Professionals Drops in South Atlantic Region.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 1999--

Hiring projections for the next 12 months reveal booming demand for permanent staff and a dramatic decline for contract expertise, according to Computerworld's Second-Quarter Hiring Survey. The 3,984 companies surveyed anticipate an overall 12 percent decrease in contractor hiring needs. The survey is part of a quarterly series dedicated to keeping information technology (IT) Leaders abreast of ever-fluctuating hiring trends.

"The dramatic decrease in demand for contract help is directly linked to companies expecting more from their high-tech staff. Our survey revealed that IT Leaders are looking for permanent teams to contribute to long-term business goals," said David Weldon, senior editor, IT careers, Computerworld. "As companies rely more and more on IT to increase competitiveness, they are becoming adamant that high-tech professionals have the know-how to apply business principles to IT."

According to Computerworld's survey findings, hiring projections over the next 12 months in the five industries anticipating the largest permanent staff growth include: -0-

Industry                    Permanent Staff    Contractors
IT Consulting                        +23%             -26%
Computer Sales                       +19%             -18%
Financial Services                   +13%             - 7%
Computer Manufacturing               +13%             -13%
Business Services (non IT)           +10%             -12%

-0-

As Year 2000 worries wind down, corporations will focus more seriously on major projects requiring long-term commitment, including electronic commerce, enterprise resource planning and data modeling/data warehousing, survey respondents reported. IT Leaders will focus on acquiring employees with diverse backgrounds and skill sets that are qualified to tackle these projects in the next quarter.

The highest regional growth (a skyrocketing 27 percent) in the hiring of permanent staff over the next three months was reported in the West South Central (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) and West North Central (North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota). The South Atlantic states (Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina) revealed a surprising 9 percent decline in permanent staff levels over the next three months.

For further information on Computerworld's Second-Quarter Hiring Survey, please contact Mariko Zapf at [phone] or [e-mail].

Computerworld, the leading weekly newspaper for IT Leaders, provides timely news and analysis on all aspects of the computer industry. Recognized three times by Folio:Magazine (1996, 1997 and 1998) and the Computer Press Association (1988, 1993 and 1994) as the best computer newspaper, the publication has a total circulation of 250,000 subscribers (per publisher's own data) and an average issue audience of 984,400 IT business influencers (IntelliQuest CIMS v. 5.0, September 1998). Computerworld extends its reach into the IT Leader community with Computerworld Online, located at www.computerworld.com; IT Leader Books; and IT Leader Conferences. Computerworld, Inc. is headquartered at 500 Old Connecticut Path, Framingham, MA 01701, with significant Silicon Valley presence at 177 Bovet Road in San Mateo, CA 94402.

Headquartered in Boston, International Data Group (IDG) informs more people worldwide about information technology than any other company in the world. With annual revenues of $2.35 billion, IDG is the leading global provider of IT media, research, conferences and expositions. IDG publishes more than 290 computer newspapers and magazines, and 700 book titles in 75 countries, led by the Computerworld, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, PC World, Channel World and "...For Dummies" global product lines. IDG offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 225 targeted Web sites in 52 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions in 35 countries, and research arm International Data Corporation (IDC) provides computer industry research and analysis through 49 offices in 41 countries worldwide. Company information is available at www.idg.com.