IT pros who are veterans or who have been unemployed for more than six months could benefit from the job creation plan President Barack Obama outlined before Congress last week. Under the American Jobs Act, companies would get tax credits for hiring workers who meet these criteria, reports Meridith Levinson at CIO magazine.

Under the legislation, employers would receive a $4,000 tax credit for hiring individuals who have been unemployed for more than six months. They would receive a $5,600 tax credit for hiring an unemployed veteran, and a $9,600 tax credit for hiring a veteran who has a disability related to service. Companies would also get tax breaks for raising current employees' wages.

Levinson notes that another aspect of the legislative plan would directly affect IT workers by making it easier for startups to raise capital and go public. Tech companies filing for IPOs could take advantage of this, which would create more IT jobs faster, she writes.

In an indirect reference to offshoring, Obama discussed the importance of tax code reforms to give American businesses greater incentives to keep jobs in the country.

For more:
- see Meridith Levinson's article at CIO

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