{"id":9004,"date":"2026-11-08T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitusconsulting.com\/?p=9004"},"modified":"2026-11-08T18:08:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T17:08:40","slug":"virtual-odc-november-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitusconsulting.com\/de\/virtual-odc-november-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual ODC in November 2026: The IT Skills Gap Is Shrinking, But Hiring Is Still Hard"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s some good news in Germany\u2019s IT job market, which doesn\u2019t happen often. The latest Bitkom study<\/a> puts the shortage of IT professionals at 79,000. That\u2019s down from 109,000 in 2025 and 149,000 in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you celebrate, though, look at the next number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Number That Matters More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

97% of companies with open IT positions still say they struggle to fill them. A third say applicants lack knowledge of current technologies, and 31% receive virtually no applications at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the gap is smaller, but trying to hire hasn\u2019t got much easier. That\u2019s why so many businesses are looking at other ways to build capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI Is Changing What Companies Look For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bitkom\u2019s figures also show AI starting to reshape hiring. Among companies that have cut IT jobs or expect to, 35% say they\u2019re using AI to replace vacancies they can no longer fill, or no longer want to. At the same time, 12% of companies with open IT roles are looking for AI specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, the skills you need next year may not be the ones you advertised for last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where a Virtual ODC Fits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is where a Virtual ODC can help. Not as a way to replace your team, but as a way to add capability when you need it: a developer, a tester, a cloud engineer, a data specialist. October\u2019s post<\/a> described the best ones as an extension of your business rather than an outside supplier, and that remains the right test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Look For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n