About 80 percent of companies are recruiting IT professionals across Seattle-area for the second quarter of 2013, according to Robert Half Technology's IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report.

Of those 80 percent, 67 percent of companies' CIO (Chief Information Officers) said they are planning to recruit only to fill open IT roles, while 13 percent companies are producing new positions for IT professionals.

"With an extremely low unemployment rate for tech professionals, companies are recognizing that they need to move fast to secure top IT talent, especially in the areas of development, help desk and desktop support," said Ester Frey, Seattle regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "Hiring activity has been strongest within the healthcare, e-commerce and professional services sectors."

In term of recruiting, 64 percent of CIOs in Seattle said it is somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals. 19 percent said it is most challenging to find skilled professionals in functional areas like data/database management, 13 percent in networking and 12 percent in help desk/technical support.

Among the Technology Executives surveyed in Seattle, 51 percent said skilled database management professionals have greatest demand within their IT department.

The survey also suggests that CIOs in Seattle area are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investment. About 84 percent of CIOs said they are somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects of growth, while 72 percent of CIOs also said that they are confident that their firm would invest in IT projects in the second quarter of this year.

The IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report was based on telephonic interviews with more than 100 CIOs and over 100 employees in the Seattle-area. The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. The Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of IT professionals and also tracks IT hiring activity in the United States.

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