Despite widespread news reports about tech companies kicking off the year with layoffs, the tech unemployment rate remained steady at 2.3 percent, according to a new analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by CompTIA.
That 2.3 percent is notably below the general unemployment rate of 3.7 percent, suggesting that demand for tech talent remains sturdy. Tech industry employment rose by roughly 17,833 jobs, powered by technology services and software development (up 14,500 jobs), cloud infrastructure (up 2,100 jobs) and tech manufacturing, particularly semiconductors (up 1,400 jobs).
“This month’s data is a helpful reminder of the many moving parts in assessing tech workforce gains or losses,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, wrote in a statement accompanying the data. “The expansive tech workforce will simultaneously experience gains and losses reflecting employer short-term and longer-term staffing needs.”
Between December and January, the number of postings for jobs requiring artificial intelligence (A.I.) mastery or A.I.-related skills rose by 2,000, hitting 17,479. The number of postings for hybrid and all-remote jobs increased 5,000 month-over-month, reaching 30,000.
In industries beyond tech, companies likewise continued their hunt for talent. “Employers listed more than 392,000 active job postings for tech occupations, with nearly 178,000 postings added last month,” added CompTIA’s report. “January’s total of active postings is 33,727 more than the December 2023 figure, the largest month-over-month increase in 12 months. There is significant employer interest in filling positions in software development, IT project management, data analysis and science, IT support and systems analysis and engineering.”
If you’re curious about which jobs could dominate 2024, the latest IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index from Foote Partners LLC offers some vital clues. Jobs with rising market value include those related to A.I. and machine learning, cloud, cybersecurity and data science. Many of those positions pay a hefty premium—in many cases, above the average tech salary of $111,193.
