Dive Brief:

• Washington D.C., Austin, Minneapolis and Chicago are among the top 12 markets nationwide with strong demand for enterprise-level cybersecurity talent, according to a new Randstad Technologies report.
• Randstad determined demand based on a combination of employer volume for talent and number of open job listings. Now, CIOs are ranking security and cybersecurity expertise as essential qualities for candidates, according to the recruiting firm. 
• "The introduction of emerging technologies and innovations, and the threats that come with them, means the demand for technology workers with specialized skills such as security will only continue to grow," said Dino Grigorakakis, vice president of recruiting at Randstad. 

Dive Insight:

Randstad has also seen high demand in Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. Many of those cities are also the markets attracting the most tech talent. Those same centers of innovation are expected to remain the primary tech hubs well into the future, according to real estate and investment firm JLL. 

Securing skilled workers is becoming more complex and challenging and often prevents companies from meeting their goals, according to Randstad. Tech leaders consistently point toward a shortage of cybersecurity skills, which in many cases costs companies money. Many leaders say cybersecurity talent deficits are worse than those in other IT occupations.

The firm also found more companies are moving operations to emerging markets like St. Louis, Charlotte, Richmond, Nashville and Orlando to find top talent. Young companies can look toward more affordable secondary markets to draw on both talent and trends in the industry. Hubs such as Austin, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia, among others, can offer a high growth opportunity at a lower cost, according to JLL.