The tech unemployment rate dipped to 2.5 percent last month, according to the latest CompTIA analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. That’s notably below the general unemployment rate of 4 percent.
New postings for tech occupations hit 209,000 in May, a month-over-month increase of 27,000. “The jump in tech job postings is an encouraging indicator more employers are coming off the sidelines,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA, wrote in a statement accompanying the data. “It may reflect pent-up demand for the tech talent companies will need to support digital growth initiatives.” Tech professions that enjoyed double-digit increases in job postings in May included:
- Data scientists (+24 percent)
- Database administrators (+18 percent)
- Software developers (+17 percent)
- Web developers (+15 percent)
- Network architects (+12 percent)
- Tech support specialists (+10 percent)
Tech layoffs also dipped slightly in May, according to crowdsourced data from layoffs.fyi. Although layoffs at some of tech’s biggest companies have dominated headlines over the past year, many tech professionals have found success in other industries that need their skills, from agriculture and retail to manufacturing. At the same time, non-tech workers are also becoming tech professionals by learning critical skills, attracted to the opportunities offered by burgeoning sub-categories such as cybersecurity. (For those totally new to programming, no- and low-code tools have become a good way to learn some fundamentals quickly while building very simple apps and services.)
In the years ahead, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could have a seismic effect on tech hiring. CIOs and other executives believe that AI may change rather than eliminate many tech jobs, largely by eliminating rote tasks and placing more emphasis on creativity and planning. Learning as much as you can about AI, and keeping an eye out for opportunities to leverage those new skills, can help “future proof” your job.
