Hiring up, unemployment down and employers step up the search for new tech talent
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Employers accelerated their hiring of technology workers and expanded their search for new tech talent in March, according to analysis by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.
Technology companies added an estimated 6,000 workers last month, CompTIA’s analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data reveals.[1] Job growth was led by new hiring in technology services, software development, cloud infrastructure and related positions.
Technology occupations throughout the economy increased by 203,000 for the month.[2] That pushed the unemployment rate for tech occupations back down to 3%.
Employers also added 191,000 new job postings for tech positions, an increase of 8,000 from the previous month and the highest volume since August 2023. In total, there were an estimated 438,000 active tech job postings in March.[3]
“With all four key tracking metrics in the positive for the month, it’s a welcome return to stability in the tech employment data,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA.
Opportunities to work in tech are present across the map. New York, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco had the highest volumes of job postings in March. Other metropolitan markets saw notable month-over-month increases, including Lansing (MI), Providence (RI), Hartford (CT), Raleigh (NC), Kansas Coty (MO) and Boise (ID).
By occupation category, software developers and IT support specialists saw the largest increases in openings from February to March.
The job posting data also affirms that there are a variety of paths to a job in technology. CompTIA’s report shows that 46% of all tech jobs postings in March did not specify that candidates have a four-year degree. Percentages were higher in certain job categories, such as IT support specialists (78%), network support specialists (66%) and web UI/UX designers (62%).
Jobs in artificial intelligence (AI) or for occupations that require AI skills accounted for 41% of March postings in the emerging technologies sub-category.
The “CompTIA Tech Jobs Report” is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/tech-jobs-report.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world’s leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Millions of current and aspiring technology workers around the world rely on CompTIA for the training, education and professional certifications that give them the confidence and skills to work in tech. https://www.comptia.org/
Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
630.678.8468
[1] Labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job posting data from Lightcast may be subject to backward revisions.
[2] Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility.
[3] Active job postings include open postings carried over from previous months and new postings added by employers.
Steve Ostrowski
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
(630) 678 - 8468
sostrowski@comptia.org
Roger Hughlett
Director, Corporate Communications
(202) 503 - 3644
rhughlett@comptia.org
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Access Now$2 trillion – Estimated direct economic impact of the U.S. tech industry, representing 8.8% of the national economy.
582,000 – Number of tech business establishments in the U.S.
9.1 million – U.S. net tech employment at the end of 2022.
286,400 – Estimated number of new technology jobs added in the U.S. in 2022.
4.1 million – Number of postings by U.S. employers for tech job openings during 2022.
