
1. Minnesota (8.36 percent) 2. Utah (5.75 percent) 3. Nebraska (5.22 percent) 4. Michigan (4.47 percent) 5. Florida (4.27 percent) 6. Massachusetts (3.75 percent) 7. New York (3.58 percent) 8. Maryland (3.45 percent) 9. Oregon (3.42 percent) 10. California (3.04 percent) 11. Virginia (2.31 percent) 12. Illinois (2.14 percent) 13. Texas (1.97 percent) 14. Ohio (1.39 percent) 15. Missouri (1.17 percent) 16. Georgia (0.96 percent) 17. New Jersey (0.43 percent)
Other details to note:- While California and New York didn’t top the list of fastest-growing states, they came in first and second on the list of states that added the most technology positions in the first half of 2015. California added roughly 8,400 jobs during that period, trailed by New York with 3,800 jobs. Given the massive technology sectors in those states, even the addition of several thousand jobs doesn’t translate into as sizeable percentage growth as in, say, Minnesota.
- Pennsylvania, Washington, North Carolina, and Alabama actually saw their tech workforce decline - by 0.61 percent, 0.63 percent, 2.36 percent, and 3.52 percent, respectively - during the first half of 2015. The dip in North Carolina’s numbers is especially surprising, as the state has positioned Raleigh as an up-and-coming tech hub. But if history has shown anything, it’s that tech employment in a particular state can just as quickly spring back.
- Overall, the unemployment rate for tech professionals averaged 2.1 percent in the second quarter, down a bit from 2.3 percent in the first quarter. That’s good news for tech pros, no matter which state they live in; lower unemployment can drive employers to offer better salaries and perks in order to attract and retain top talent.