Current Unemployment Rate in the IT Industry? 117
concerned-about-employment asks: "What's the unemployment rate in the IT industry currently? Years ago I heard it was 8-9% but with so many jobs going offshore and the general unemployment rate rising, could it be even higher than before? Has it really broken 10% as some people say? That would mean 1 out of every 10 IT workers is out of a job. Personally though, from the perspective of a recent college graduate, it looks like 20% from here." How does the actual national unemployment rate in IT compare to the number of IT professionals that you know who are currently out of work?
Look... (Score:2, Insightful)
If you still aren't working, chances are you should have never been in the field in the first place. There's jobs. They exist. Some of them are specialized. Some of them are stupid.
All of them will go to the person who sucks least before the manager gets fed up of looking at resume's.
If you are too proud to take a pay cut, you should have become a lawyer.
I'm US born and raised, but I spent a year in India, and I'll tell you one thing, if you want to realize how much of a PRIVILEGE it is to get paid lots of money to type, talk, and think, go spend some time in India. If we were faced with the kind of misery and suffering on a daily basis that the Indians are, well...you probably wouldn't be out of a job.
-Mano
Re:Do it as your hobby (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean, you ARE kidding, right?
Because A whole slew of articles in business magazines have been talking about how the success of outsourcing IT has given Corporate America all sorts of interesting ideas. Like outsourcing "non-core" departments, like HR, Payroll, Accounting, legal research, business forecasting and strategy, almost all of middle management...
You DID know about that, right? Cause if you weren't joking, boy are YOU in for a shock...
The real problem (Score:3, Insightful)
The way to find a job is through networking. There is simply no better way, so if you are unemployed and not networking you might need to rethink your situation.
It's worse than that... (Score:5, Insightful)
I know people who are no longer considered to be in the IT industry as they've had to get jobs stacking boxes at Home Depot, etc.
They aren't counted since they aren't unemployed, even though they ARE unemployed from their profession.
Any IT-specific numbers you find will be wrong for this reason.
I'm not talking a 1st level phone-jockey, I'm talking about talented sysadmins with many years of experience!
College Grads Grab the Spots (Score:4, Insightful)
It makes me think companies are opting to fill open positions with younger people whom they can hire at a much lower salary.
Re:It's worse than that... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:College Grads Grab the Spots (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Make sure you differentiate (Score:2, Insightful)
An important collary to the topic in discussion, would be how many people have left the IT industry simply because it is no longer worth their time.
Re:Look... (Score:1, Insightful)
Not to be excessivly ignorant here, but India historically has been fucked up on Religion (tm), and people get the government they deserve. If I was faced with that kind of suffering and misery, I would endeavour to change it. Or die trying. That's what happened in North America, or at least, the US.
Some places in the world suck. There are good reasons for it, and most of them involve being fucked up on Jesus (tm), or your diety of choice. Throw in political corruption to taste.
YMMV.
Re:Add one (Score:3, Insightful)
Also, you must reexamine how you are conducting your job search. You should have started your job hunt at least half a year before graduation. In the meantime, you are complaining bitterly after only a month of searching. You are ignoring possibilities outside your narrow criteria. You are job hunting with your ego rather than with a realistic view of how marketable your skills and background actually are. You are "firing off resumes" instead of searching for a job. Get a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute, read it, and apply its suggestions. Finally, quit acting like your shit don't stink, because plenty prospective employers could wipe their asses with your diploma for what it's worth to them without at least some real industry experience to back it up.