Pasadena, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/04/2011 -- Computerworld, a leading IT magazine for IT professionals, has carried out a survey of five leading IT hiring experts. The survey results show a tough time ahead for IT professionals.

Jerry Luftman, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, predicts that an increasing number of job openings in IT will require specialized skills as well as business and communication skills. He also sees a demand for IT professionals who can handle legacy systems, but thinks that those too can be probably outsourced offshore.

Victor Janulaitis, CEO of Janco Associates, thinks that there is going to be jobless recovery in IT. He says firms are not in hiring mode and more importantly they are outsourcing low-level and entry-level work offshore. He believes there is still demand for application developers, while others need to use their contacts.

The outsourcing of IT jobs to offshore destinations is expected to go down slightly in the next few years. A report from The Hackett Group that around 311,000 jobs were lost in outsourcing in 2009, but by 2014 around 115,000 jobs will be lost every year.

CEO A. Harrison Barnes of InformationTechnologyCrossing says that this shows that even IT professionals in middle and senior level positions aren’t immune to layoffs. “IT workers need to have the latest in demand skills, that’s what the experts are saying. If you are able to keep up with the tech changes, then you have a high chance of getting a new job or even just keeping your existing one.” Barnes’ firm has been able to compile a list of over 90,000 IT jobs nationwide this month.