CompTIA Analysis Shows Modest Job Growth

Technology employment experienced modest job growth in February, with employers in the tech sector and the broader U.S. economy adding workers, according to analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data performed by CompTIA, a suburban Chicago-based industry association.

Tech industry employment increased by an estimated 5,100 jobs in February, according to the research. Companies added an estimated 5,900 workers in IT and custom software services and systems design jobs, more than offsetting staffing reductions in other areas. More than 5.2 million people are employed by technology companies, a combination of technical and non-technical positions.

Tech occupation employment, which includes technology professionals working in all industry sectors, increased by 60,000 jobs. The unemployment rate for tech occupations increased slightly to 3.8%, but remains lower than the national unemployment rate.

Active employer job postings for technology occupations increased 9% in February, to 505,045. That total includes more than 230,000 new postings added during the month.

Several metropolitan markets saw double-digit percentage increases in tech job postings led by New York City, which saw a 33% increase from January to February. Employers in the New York metro area listed nearly 16,000 openings for tech occupations last month. San Antonio (+ 24%), San Diego (+ 22%), Austin (+ 18%), Huntsville (+ 18%) and San Jose (+ 14%) also recorded notable increases.

Employers are searching for a mix of technology skills and expertise. Positions in highest demand include software developers and engineers, systems engineers, tech support specialists, cybersecurity engineers and analysts and artificial intelligence engineers.

Employers advertised tech job postings at all career stages, with 17% of postings targeting workers with eight years or more experience; 29% specifying workers with four to seven years’ experience; and 20%, zero to three years.

The data also shows that employers are not requiring a four-year college degree for a significant percentage of tech positions in areas such as network support, tech support, web development, network and systems administration and database administration.

Channel Impact^®
The results show modest job growth with encouraging signs of future hiring intent.