The hiring game wasn't supposed to be this heated; sub-par job growth, modest economic expansion and wavering confidence should have given companies time to find talent. Slow and steady has never been tolerated in technology and the colliding forces of strong demand, talent shortages, and restless employees have sparked a frenzy that hiring managers and recruiters say will only get more intense this year.

This slideshow highlights the top 10 metro locations for tech employment, identified by Dice.com, based on the number of jobs posted as of March 1, 2011.

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