Your CIO or IT pro may sport a taciturn or even gloomy demeanor day to day, but that somewhat sour facade is likely concealing a rather upbeat outlook these days. The latest survey of IT pros by the folks at Robert Half Technologies found that

Technology execs expect continued information technology (IT) hiring in the second quarter of 2012, albeit at a slower pace than three months ago, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report  In the latest quarterly survey, 8% of chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 5% expect cutbacks, for a net  3% projected increase in hiring activity.

Most CIOs plan to maintain their current staff levels: 85% of those surveyed plan no change in hiring, up 15 points from the first quarter.

In the same survey, 87% of technology executives were somewhat or very optimistic about their companies’ growth prospects in the next three months, and 77% felt confident in their firms’ second-quarter investment in IT projects.

Tags: forecast, hiring, IT, projects