CompTIA Data Analysis: 'Uneven and Unpredictable' Tech Labor Recovery

The latest CompTIA data analysis shows continued mixed signals for tech-related jobs with companies adding 12,900 technical and non-technical workers in September.

The latest data from the monthly U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation report confirms a recovery that remains uneven and unpredictable. The CompTIA data analysis shows a mix of good news in IT sector employment gains and disappointing news in IT occupation job losses.

The tech sector recorded its second consecutive month of employment growth. The IT services and custom software development category led the way in job gains. There was also positive growth in tech manufacturing and the information services category.

Tech companies added about 9,200 new workers in August.

Massive Tech Occupation Job Losses

The industry’s employment growth was countered by an unexpected loss of 324,000 tech occupation jobs. Those span all industry sectors across the economy.

CompTIA’s Tim Herbert

“The latest jobs report confirms progress on some fronts, but also serves as a reality check,“ said Tim Herbert, CompTIA’s executive vice president for research and market intelligence. “As the crisis continues to ripple through the economy, businesses must balance shorter-term concerns with longer-term strategic tech spending and tech talent needs.”

Overall, the U.S. economy added 661,000 jobs in September, a smaller number than in recent months. The national unemployment rate inched lower to 7.9%. For IT occupations, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.

Job postings for IT occupations were slightly lower last month, falling by 11,372 postings. However, they still totaled more than 200,000.

The most in-demand occupations included software and application developers (65,400 job postings), and IT support specialists (19,700). Systems engineers and architects (17,200) followed closely behind.

The job posting data also confirms the systematic shift to remote work. Year-to-date job postings for IT occupations that specify remote work or work from home (WFH) increased 58% versus the same period in 2019.

The impact of emerging tech is also reflected in the job posting data. Postings with an emerging tech occupation or skills component account for 25% of all IT occupation openings this year. That compares to 22% for the same period last year.

Among specific industries, professional, scientific and technical services (39,014), finance and insurance (19,363), manufacturing (14,851) and information (11,616) had the most IT job postings last month.

Massachusetts, Indiana, Georgia, Iowa and Arkansas had the largest month-over-month gains in IT job postings among the states.