One in five large companies cut IT staff in 2009—and many expect the same this year.

By Brian P. Watson



We all know that for IT, 2009 was a year we’d rather not remember.

But when we look back at 2010, will we say the same?

As with most things, it’s hard to say, and hindsight will differ between small and large companies, and across different sectors.

A tidbit from CIO Insight’s recent IT Spending study provided an early perspective on 2010’s legacy, at least in terms of IT staffing levels. Almost one in five large companies (500 or more employees) cut staff last year, while 13 percent of “midrange” companies (50 to 499 employees) reduced headcount, the study revealed.

And then there’s this, as my former colleague Guy Currier wrote: “This split in approaches will likely continue through 2010: Large companies expect, for the most part, that these cuts will last, while slightly more midrange firms expect to add staff rather than to cut further.”

(If you don’t subscribe to the print edition, you can download a PDF of the full survey results here.)

Plenty of CIOs have told me they didn’t cut staff last year. Their companies anticipated the downturn and took pre-emptive measures to prevent cutbacks, they say. In many cases, it was true.

And as always, they don’t necessarily have to cut staff to trim headcount. In the era of “Doing More With Less,” some IT pros make their own exit.

The problem, of course, is that while resources may be low, demand will continue to grow higher than ever, leaving budget-strapped CIOs and IT departments in a horrible lurch.

What’s your staffing strategy for 2010? Are you continuing to cut? Or are you on the other side of the spectrum? Sound off in the Comments section below.

Back to Workforce News