Demand for Cloud-Computing Skills Soars

Business-intelligence provider WANTED Analytics has reported that recruiters posted over 5,000 online job postings for cloud computing positions in February. This data reflects a recent skyrocketing demand for such skills, rising by over 90 percent since February 2011 and about 400 percent over February 2010. This new demand has created a major gap between job demand and talent supply across the country making it more and more difficult to source candidates.

Those positions most frequently requiring cloud computing skills include software and systems engineers and network administrators. Of the 5,000 job ads in February, 3,400 of them were for tech talent, a 99 percent increase over the year; though technology jobs accounted for just two-thirds of cloud computing skills demand during the month. Other fields with a growing need for cloud experience include marketing and sales managers and management and financial analysts.

Despite the demand, the talent pool has been slow to respond and has remained limited leading to companies finding it difficult to fill positions. This circumstance has led to heightened competition between companies in order to attract candidates. Even with the increased resources being used to attract talent, the range of time it typically takes to fill a cloud-computer position is between 5.5 and 9 weeks. Metro areas with the highest demand for cloud skills were Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York. The highest number of job listings placed for the talent pool occurred in San Jose while San Francisco experienced the highest growth at over 150 percent over February 2011 numbers.