image credit:-compatiaAccording to a recent analysis by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce, the technology industry experienced modest growth in employment in February, with little change in job postings for open tech positions. The analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed that technology companies added approximately 2,340 workers last month. However, there were staffing reductions in the telecommunications and manufacturing sectors, offsetting gains in the technology services and software development sub-sector. Overall, net tech employment, including both industry and occupation employment, exceeds 9.6 million workers.
Despite the growth in tech industry employment, technology occupations across the economy declined by an estimated 133,000 positions, leading to an increase in the unemployment rate for tech occupations to 3.5%. This increase mirrors the national trend, as the overall national unemployment rate rose to 3.9% in February.
Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, noted that the employment data reflects the ongoing impact of market developments on hiring decisions. While demand for tech talent remains strong across all sectors, some employers are adjusting their staffing levels.
In terms of job postings, there were 185,000 new postings for tech positions in February, bringing the total number of active tech job postings to over 436,000. California, Texas, and Virginia had the highest volumes of job postings among states, while Washington, New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Boston were the most active metro markets.
Despite the overall stability in job postings, certain trends persist. Open positions in artificial intelligence or requiring AI skills remain around the 10% mark, and positions offering hybrid, remote, or work-from-home options account for approximately 20% of all tech job postings.
