The IT sector is likely to witness a 20 per cent increase in overall workforce levels in the coming year as this segment will continue to see double digit growth, says a survey.

According to the IT Employer Survey by HeadHonchos.com - a job search portal for senior management professionals, 76 per cent of respondents expect the increase in headcount to be in the range of 11-15 per cent whereas 36 per cent expect this figure to be as much as 16-20 per cent.

"Hiring is set to increase across all levels, including 9.5 per cent for middle management and 4.5 per cent for senior professionals," HeadHonchos.com CEO Uday Sodhi said.

Overall as many as 97 per cent of the HR managers polled said the industry will see a substantial increase in overall workforce in the coming year.

However, the IT industry will continue to reel under attrition pressures and this year it is likely to be more challenging than last year as overall attrition rate is expected to hover around 14.4 per cent, the report said.

"There will be a double impact on hiring as the increase in manpower count is accompanied by replacement hiring on account of the attrition numbers," Sodhi said.

For fresher and junior levels, attrition is expected to be 13.6 per cent across the industry, for mid management attrition would be around 9.2 per cent and senior management levels it is expected to be 4.8 per cent, the survey said.

In order to curtail attrition levels, companies are planning to focus on compensation, skill development and improvement of work environment in the year ahead.

The survey that covered top 100 IT companies in India was based on the views of HR professionals across the country and forecasts trends on work-force growth and expected attrition.