IT Jobs in Illinois to Grow

Posted on September 11, 2008

Although the industry is currently losing workers, IT jobs in Illinois are expected to grow through 2014.

During July 2008, Illinois‘ information industry employed a total of 115,800 workers, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, a decrease of .5 percent.

Illinois’ information technology industry is expected to grow faster than the statewide average for all industries through 2014, according to an article by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. This is mostly due to the fact that organizations will continue to integrate increasingly sophisticated technology.

“Job growth will continue to be driven by the continued expansion of the computer system design and related services industry, which is projected to remain a top growth industry despite recent job losses,” the article notes. “Job growth will not be as explosive as it was during the past decade as these jobs are increasingly being outsourced overseas.

“However, rapid growth in most areas of information technology is expected to fuel demand for specialists knowledgeable about network, data, and communications security,” the article adds. “Job prospects should be best for college graduates who are up to date with the latest skills and technologies, particularly if they have supplemented their formal education with some relevant work experience.”

Possible career choices in the information technology industry include: