The Randstad Technologies Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among technology workers, held steady for the second consecutive quarter at 60.0 in the first quarter of 2014. The quarterly study, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of talent and solutions provider, Randstad Technologies, also indicated growing belief among IT workers that the economy is strengthening. In fact, technology professionals' confidence in the overall economy grew by 10 percentage points this quarter, with nearly half (44%) believing the economy is getting stronger. This latest wave of the study was conducted in the first quarter of 2014 among 174 U.S. IT workers aged 18 and older.

"More than one-third of technology workers, or 35 percent, believe there are more jobs available this quarter and they are largely right," said Bob Dickey, Group President, Technology and Engineering at Randstad. "When you consider that technology is seeping into nearly every sector and becoming more critical in every industry, there is a growing demand for technical talent to drive technology-based processes. Social media continues to explode, cloud computing remains a huge focus for companies and mobile technology is the new norm for a lot of business interactions.

"All of these trends mean promising careers and job opportunities for IT employees who possess skills within data programming/administration, mobile development and security," continued Dickey. "The growth of the technology profession overall is projected to continue at a steady pace for the foreseeable future. In fact, according to the U.S. News and World Report's Best Jobs 2014, by 2022 it is projected that over 140,000 new software developer positions alone will be added. We believe the industry is on pace to match or exceed growth rates like this in a variety of positions spanning the gamut of computer systems analysts to web developers and computer programmers."

Additional Q1 2014 Findings:

Confidence in the Economy Bounces Back in First Quarter

• Technology professionals' confidence in the overall economy increased by 10 percentage points this quarter, with nearly half (44%) believing the economy is getting stronger.

Workers' Sense of Job Security Wanes

• Sixty-six percent of IT workers reported it is not likely they will lose their job in the next 12 months, a decline of five percentage points from 71 percent last quarter.

More IT Workers Likely to Job Hunt

• Thirty-five percent of IT employees say they are likely to look for a new job in the next year, compared to 31 percent in the previous quarter.

Nearly Half of IT Workers Confident in Ability to Find New Jobs

• Forty-six percent of IT workers say they are confident in their ability to find a new job, while nearly one-quarter (23%) report they do not feel confident in their ability to land a new job.