Alarm bells over the lack of high-tech workers in the U.S. have been ringing for years, turning the story into near-legend.

But is the worker shortfall still a fact? While a consensus is elusive, many industry experts say yes, and the problem is growing.

"When I hear from employers that there is a shortage, I believe them," says Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University and a workplace consultant.

"Firms know how real it is. They see how much money it costs them by having to pay a premium for talent, and they see the money lost in services they cannot provide to clients because they don't have workers," adds Langerud.

The long-term scarcity springs from a deficient educational system, says Terry Howerton, managing partner of TechNexus , a tech incubator firm based in Chicago.

"There's been a lack of emphasis at U.S. high schools on tech education and career paths for some time," Howerton says. "Most colleges will tell you the low number of computer science students coming in is related to the shortage of graduates coming out in this field."

Concern over the high tech shortage dates to the 1980s, with a crescendo of alarm hitting in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The issue is heating up again as more companies embrace the advanced manufacturing model.

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