In the last week I've seen two surveys of the IT industry posted that indicate two things:  1. Java ain't dead.  2.  Developers continue to be the most sought-after IT staff - Java/J2EE developers in particular.

Last week Dice.com released a survey showing that Java developers were the most difficult positions to fill, according to the 600 HR managers and recruiters polled.  A survey released today by IntaPeople had Java developers ranked 2nd on the list of most in-demand IT workers, right behind C# / ASP.NET developers.  IntaPeople, a UK-based website, took into account the most frequently advertised IT positions on their site for the first six months of 2010.

IntaPeople's top 10 most sought-after IT staff in the first half of 2010:

1. C# / ASP.NET Developer 
2. Java J2EE Developer
3. PHP Developer
4. Business Analyst
5. Data Administrator
6. Software Engineer
7. Test Analyst
8. SharePoint Developer
9. SQL Developer
10. Head of IT

IntaPeople estimates that the demand for developers is high right now because many companies are looking to reduce their operational costs with more effective systems.  The "Head of IT" at number ten might also indicate that companies in the UK are willing to make grand-scale changes to their IT departments this year.

Dice.com's 10 most difficult skill sets and positions to fill (according to 600 HR managers and recruiters):

1. Java/J2EE
2. Security
3. Software Developer (more generally)
4. SAP
5. Database Administrator (more generally)
6. .NET
7. Oracle
8. SharePoint
9. C#
10. Active Federal Government Security Clearance

In last year's survey, Security was at the top of the list with Virtualization 2nd and Java 3rd.  Dice.com also reports that the tech hiring market is looking a lot healthier this year than it did last year.  IntaPeople is saying the same thing.

So, if you already have a skill in one of these top ten lists, congratulations!  You're a hot commodity!