U.S. Information Technology Industry Added More Than 70,000 Jobs in First Half of 2015, CompTIA Analysis Reveals

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Aug 24, 2015, 09:30 ET

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America's information technology (IT) industry added 70,500 new jobs in the first half of 2015, employing nearly five million people at mid-year, according to an analysis of labor data released today by CompTIA, the IT industry association.

The U.S. IT industry has now generated job gains in 14 of the 18 months between January 2014 and June 2015.

"With steady job growth the IT industry continues to outperform many other sectors of the U.S. economy," said Tim Herbert, senior vice president, research and market intelligence, CompTIA.

Most facets of IT employment remain strong, with the largest gains during the first half of 2015 recorded in IT services (up 2.4 percent) and software (up 1.5 percent). Tech manufacturing grew slightly under 1 percent, mirroring the growth rate for the telecommunications and internet services sector (0.9 percent).

"The continuing trends of 'everything-as-a-service,' 'software-defined everything' and the proliferation of devices and applications requiring integration and support have spurred hiring by a wide range of IT companies," Herbert explained.

Job posting data from Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights points to intensifying competition for IT talent. Job postings for IT occupations increased 20 percent during Q2 2015 compared to the previous quarter. Cybersecurity jobs, software developers, data scientists, web developers and network architects showed the largest increases.

"The data confirms the breadth and demand for technology expertise," Herbert said. "Beyond traditional employers of IT workers, sectors such as healthcare, defense, retail and finance are now represented among the top 20 of companies with hiring intent."

To illustrate a national view of IT jobs CompTIA's research team has created a data visualization map that depicts the IT workforce at the state and metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level, which serves as a proxy for cities. To view the map visit http://www.comptia.org/resources/mapping-the-it-workforce.

CompTIA's latest IT jobs analysis includes a cautionary note. The unemployment rate for computer and mathematical positions moved higher in back-to-back months, hitting 3.4 percent in July, which is still much lower than the overall national rate of 5.3 percent. It's too soon to say whether this is a momentary blip or the start of a trend.

CompTIA's mid-year analysis of IT industry and IT occupation employment trends draws on data from several sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Burning Glass Labor Insights. The IT Employment Midyear Update is the latest example of the free resources available from CompTIA just by becoming a registered user. To register visit http://www.comptia.org/about-us/our-story/membership.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the information technology industry. To learn more, visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE CompTIA