MENLO PARK, CA – Hiring in the information technology field – particularly in the healthcare industry – will see an increase in the first quarter, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half Technology, a  provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis.

In the latest survey, 11 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to add information technology (IT) staff in the first three months of the year, and just 3 percent foresee cutbacks. The net 8 percent increase in hiring activity is up five points from the fourth-quarter forecast.

The survey also found that 84 percent of CIOs are at least somewhat confident in their companies' growth prospects in the first quarter, the same number reported in the fourth-quarter survey. In addition, more than half (54 percent) of executives said it is very or somewhat challenging to find skilled IT professionals today.

"As companies maximize operational efficiencies and strive to make information more accessible, they rely on their IT departments," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "As a result, CIOs are reinitiating previously deferred projects and are more willing to invest in augmenting their teams."

According to the survey, CIOs in the health services industry are most likely to hire in the first quarter. Eighteen percent of executives in this sector plan to expand their IT departments and none foresees staff reductions. Companies in the healthcare industry say it is most difficult to find skilled software developers, followed by networking and security professionals.

The reason that these skills are the most difficult to find is because they are the most in demand, the survey finds. The functional area in which executives foresee the most challenges in finding skilled professionals is networking, cited by 17 percent of executives. This was followed by security and software development, with 16 percent and 11 percent of the response, respectively.

The technical skill set most in demand within IT departments for a majority of CIOs (65 percent) is network administration, up five points from the fourth-quarter survey where it also topped the wish list. Windows administration (Server 2000/2003/2008) ranked second, with 61 percent of the response, followed by desktop support and database management, garnering 59 percent and 54 percent of the response, respectively. (Note: CIOs were allowed multiple responses.)

The survey finds that the West South Central and East North Central states are expected to see the greatest amount of hiring activity in the first quarter, with a net 12 percent of CIOs in each region planning to add full-time IT professionals.