The demand and employment of programmers is expected to slow over the next decade. Why? Well, complex, already developed, computer software now has the ability to write basic code, which before would have been done manually by computer programmers. Also, with the increasingly number of software development tools and advances in programming languages, it is now easier for the average I.T. employee to design and code their own programs. Therefore many (not all) companies will be inclined to train existing employees rather than go and recruit outside for the role of just a computer programmer.
I.T. Outsourcing is also a factor limiting growth in the computer programming field. Computer programmers can now (with the internet) perform their job from anywhere in the world. Computer programmers are at a higher risk of having their roles outsourced compared to other I.T. employees, such as software engineers. This is because programming has become an international language, requiring less and less in the way of localised or specialised knowledge. Also once knowledge of a particular programming language is mastered many programming tasks will be reduced to a routine.
Nonetheless, there will still be a demand from employers, for competent programmers who have strong technical skills and who also understand the nature of their business and the programming requirements of their business. This means that programmers will have to keep up to date with ever changing programming languages and techniques of the field. Given the increased importance of networking in day to day business and the ever increasing expansion of client / server technology, Web-based, and wireless environments, organisations will look for computer programmers that are skilled in data communications.