As the next wave of college grads hits the streets, there's good news for those looking for tech jobs: Demand is strong for entry-level IT workers, according to Monster Worldwide.

Demand for entry-level workers across all sectors is up, based on an analysis of job listings on more than 1,500 Web sites, job boards, and corporate career sites, according to Monster. Seventy-two percent of employers plan to hire 2006 graduates in the spring or summer, versus 64% who did so last year, according to the company's analysis. Also, 37% of companies expect to recruit more entry-level candidates than they did in 2005.

Entry-level IT jobs are among those in strong demand, says Jesse Harriott, VP of research at Monster. "There's a lot of talk about outsourcing, but there's still demand in the U.S. for technical support reps, including internal support and customer support," he says. Other jobs where employers are looking for entry-level IT workers include business systems analysts, and Active Server Pages and Java developers.

Geographically, demand for entry-level IT work is strong in New York, Miami/Palm Beach, and Phoenix. "Miami and Phoenix have high population growth," Harriott says.

Prospective employers aren't just looking at diplomas. "They're looking at entry-level candidates who have strong tech skills and who have also had internships" that provide on-the-job experience, he says.

CareerBuilder.com this week also reported an uptick in demand for entry-level workers across many sectors.