The search for technology workers, ranging from tech support staff to artificial intelligence specialists, has accelerated in May 2024, according to a recent analysis by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology industry and workforce. The "Tech Jobs Report" released by CompTIA reveals that new job postings for tech occupations reached an impressive 209,000 in May, marking an increase of nearly 27,000 from April and the highest total since June 2023.
The report highlights the steady ascent of job postings for AI occupations or positions requiring AI skills, which totaled more than 26,000 and accounted for 12% of all tech openings. This trend underscores the growing demand for AI expertise across various industries as companies seek to leverage the potential of this transformative technology.
CompTIA's analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics #JobsReport data also reveals that technology companies added staff in May, albeit at a slower pace compared to recent months. The tech sector saw an addition of 2,181 jobs last month, bringing the total employment in the industry to nearly 5.6 million workers.
The unemployment rate for tech occupations dropped to 2.5% in May, significantly lower than the national rate of 4%. However, technology occupations throughout the economy experienced a decline of 42,000, representing less than 1% of the total base of tech occupation employment, which stands at almost 6.4 million.
Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, commented on the findings, stating, "The jump in tech job postings is an encouraging indicator more employers are coming off the sidelines. It may reflect pent up demand for the tech talent companies will need to support digital growth initiatives."
Several tech occupation categories witnessed double-digit increases in job postings in May, including data scientists (+24%), database administrators (18%), software developers (+17%), web developers (15%), network architects (12%), and tech support specialists (+10%). This growth suggests a broad-based demand for tech talent across various specializations.
Geographically, three states experienced a growth of more than 2,000 tech job postings for the month: Texas (+2,978), California (+2,804), and Illinois (+2,062). Four other states, namely Georgia, New York, Michigan, and Florida, saw increases of more than 1,000 job postings.
CompTIA's report also highlights that 45% of all active tech job postings in May did not specify a requirement for a four-year degree, indicating that employers are widening their search for tech talent. Some essential tech positions had even higher percentages of postings without a degree requirement, such as network support specialists (86%), IT support specialists (72%), network and systems administrators (54%), and programmers (50%).
