Information technology companies expect overall growth in the second quarter of 2011, according to a survey of 1,400 chief informational officers (CIOs) from companies across the country.

The Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report’s latest survey found that 9 percent of CIOs plan to expand their IT departments and just 2 percent expect cutbacks, a net 7 percent increase in hiring.

The survey found that 80 percent of CIOs are confident in their companyies’ growth prospects for the next three months, and 48 percent rated the probability of their firms investing in IT projects in the second quarter as a 4 or above on a 5-point scale.