Hiring is expected to increase in the first half of 2016 but many critical technology positions are in high demand and hard to fill, according to the January Dice Report released today.

Demand for tech professionals with security expertise also continues to rise. It now ranks third in the ten roles and areas of expertise that hiring managers currently struggle with the most.

The top 10 most challenging talent to hire:

1. Software developer
2. Java professional                            
3. Security                                               
4. .NET                                                      
5. Software engineer                         
6. Mobile                                                 
7. DevOps                                               
8. Big Data                                               
9. Database administrators              
10. Software architect                          

“The environment for tech positions is incredibly competitive, underlining the challenge in filling these roles and retaining talent,” Dice President Bob Melk said. “Our recent survey of technology professionals found that salary and position are critical incentives, but aspects of job satisfaction like housing, transit and work/life balance are also important. And once you’re able to hire talent for these top roles, focusing on these areas of satisfaction will not only benefit one person. Social recruiting is increasingly important for companies, so if your developers are happy and excited, they’ll spread the word — to the right people.”

Dice surveyed 397 human resource managers, recruiters, consulting and staffing companies from every region of the country who primarily hire or recruit tech professionals. The survey was conducted Nov. 10 to Nov. 13, 2015.