Mark M. Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com Inc., expects tech to create 53,000 jobs this year and an additional 207,000 in 2005. While the pace of hiring pales in comparison with the late 1990s, tech employment remains a key component of U.S. job growth. Over the next five years, Zandi predicts, the industry will create 667,000, or 7.2%, of the projected 9.2 million new jobs.
Thanks to Corporate America's robust demand for tech gear and services, the hiring is relatively broad-based. Lehman Brothers Inc. (LEH ) economist Ethan S. Harris expects spending on business equipment and software to rise 14.5% this year, compared with 5.5% in 2003. The strong demand means tech providers can no longer rely solely on outsize productivity gains to keep their operations humming, as they've done for the past few years. Companies now need more warm bodies if they want to get products and services out the door.
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_19/b3882039.htm
