IT Industries Most In-Demand in Career Right Now

Technology workers will be the most sought after by employers over the the rest of the year, new research finds.

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The study from CareerBuilder revealed that the information technology industry will lead the way in hiring over the next six months. Specifically, 72 percent of IT employers will be making new hires before the end of the year, more than 12 percentage points higher than the national average.

Employers in the manufacturing, health care and financial services industries are also expected to make more new hires than the national average.

Regardless of industry, skilled trades jobs will be most in-demand. Specifically, 15 percent of employers will be recruiting employees for skilled trades positions. These are among the other most important in-demand roles for the second half of the year:

Software as a service – 14 percent
Cybersecurity – 13 percent
Sales enablement – 13 percent
Talent management – 13 percent
Providing a good user experience – 12 percent
Managing and interpreting big data – 11 percent
Creating digital strategies – 11 percent
Social marketing – 10 percent
Ecommerce – 10 percent
Developing apps – 10 percent
Healthy living – 9 percent

Overall, there is projected to be a significant increase in the number of employers hiring new workers before the end of the year. The study found that 60 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers over the next six months, up from 50 percent last year. In addition, 36 percent of employers plan to hire part-time, permanent employees, up from 29 percent in 2016. [Hiring remote workers? 4 ways to find the best]

The greatest increase is expected to come from organizations hiring freelance workers. The research shows that 46 percent of employers are projected to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 32 percent last year.

Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, said most employers are confident in their outlook for financial growth and plans for hiring.

"Job seekers stand to benefit not only from having more options, but also from the growing intensity in the competition for talent," Ferguson said in a statement.

Hiring is projected to increase across all company sizes. The study found that 37 percent of small businesses with fewer than 50 employees plan to make new hires in the second half of the year, up from 27 percent last year; 67 percent of businesses with 51 to 250 workers also expected to bring on new workers, up from 53 percent a year ago.

The research also showed that hiring among large businesses with more than 1,000 workers is projected to increase by 6 percentage points from a year ago.

With hiring on the rise, most organizations think they are going to have to entice employees with more money to win the recruiting battle. Nearly three-quarters of the hiring managers surveyed feel they have to start paying higher wages because the market has become increasingly competitive for talent.

"Employers are moving quickly to recruit candidates, and they are willing to pay more across job levels," Ferguson said. "The current climate puts job seekers in a more advantageous position."

The study was based on surveys of 2,369 hiring and human resource managers and 3,462 employees over the age of 18.