The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number of IT professional in the United States at 4 million, but analysts at Foote Partners argue that a more accurate number is around 20 million. According to the analysts, BLS's definition of IT jobs is terribly out of date, writes Chris Murphy in an article at InformationWeek.

The way in which many users in businesses around the country today work with applications would have qualified them, at one time, as tech professionals. Employees in sales, administration or business intelligence can be heavy IT practitioners, creating a fuzzy line between business and IT roles, Murphy writes. And the way technology is evolving, the line will only get fuzzier.

There are risks in including an ever-expanding group of workers in the IT pro label, however, Murphy warns. For one, if 20 million people are considered IT professionals, those with real expertise are diminished. What's more, many CIOs are finding success in channeling IT experts toward more business-oriented roles.

For more:
- read Chris Murphy's article at InformationWeek

Related Articles:
2010: A good time to start an IT security career
IT adds 25,000 jobs so far this year
Demand for IT talent to explode