US Workers Turn Down Tech Jobs

More and more programming jobs are outsourced from the US... but that may not hurt the US workforce as much as feared, since many new entrants are staying away from programming and other "techie" jobs.

Gartner predicts that the US tech workforce will shrink by 15% by 2010, mainly due to lack of job openings or better opportunities elsewhere. Many young people are opting for jobs with more strategic roles that are perceived as more interesting, more lucrative, and more secure than hardcore programming jobs.

"If you're only interested in deep coding and you want to remain in your cubicle all day, there are a shrinking number of jobs for you," said Diane Morello of Gartner. "Employers are starting to want versatilists - people who have deep experience with enterprise-wide applications and can parlay it into some larger cross-company projects out there." Those who counsel young people at the beginning of their careers urge them to develop skills in addition to programming, namely in marketing, consulting, finance and languages.

Source: AP (Excite)