IT employment in the US surged in February despite the "dismal" overall job market, experts report.

The National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (NACCB), which tracks IT employment on a monthly basis, said that IT jobs grew by more than 40,000 last month.

On a year-over-year basis, IT employment grew 9.1 per cent from February 2007 to stand at an all-time high of nearly 3.9 million in February 2008.

"Despite the steady stream of negative economic news, including a disappointing report on the broader job market, demand for IT professionals remains extraordinarily robust," said Mark Roberts, chief executive at the NACCB.

"While I fully expected a favourable IT employment picture based on the positive anecdotal reports from our member companies, the strength of February's IT employment numbers surprised even me."

The robust IT employment picture should be heartening to executives in all industries, according to the report.

"The figures reflect continuing corporate investment in IT as companies seek to maintain or improve their competitive position and reap the benefits of enhanced productivity," said Roberts.