Main image of article May Tech Unemployment Rose... But Only Slightly

The tech unemployment rate climbed slightly to 2.3 percent in April, according to a new analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by CompTIA.

Companies within the tech sector increased their workforces by a cumulative 18,795 positions, which CompTIA claimed was the “largest volume of monthly hiring since August 2022.” However, industries throughout the broader economy cut back on 99,000 tech positions. The national unemployment rate is 3.4 percent.

“It was another all-too-familiar month of mixed labor market signals,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, wrote in a statement accompanying the data. “The surprisingly strong tech sector employment gains were offset by the pause in tech hiring across the economy.”

Cities enjoying an elevated volume of job postings included Washington, New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago. Many of these cities have poured extensive resources into building their local tech communities—efforts that pay off when companies continue to hire despite broad economic uncertainty.

Other cities saw a significant month-over-month rise in tech job postings, including Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston and Seattle. For longtime tech hubs like Boston and Seattle, strong growth suggests these cities are still attractive to employers and tech professionals alike.

For tech professionals seeking a new job, CompTIA’s recent “State of the Tech Workforce” report offers some insight into the occupations that will generate a significant number of job openings over the next 12 months. These include:

  • Data Scientists and Data Analysts (5.5 percent growth)
  • Cybersecurity Analysts and Engineers (5.2 percent growth)
  • Web Designers and UI/UX (4.7 percent growth)
  • Software Developers and Engineers (4.7 percent growth)
  • Software QA and Testers (4.1 percent growth)
  • CIOs and IT Directors (3.4 percent growth)
  • Systems Analysts and Engineers (2.6 percent growth)
  • IT Support Specialists (2.4 percent growth)

The more specialized the role, the more difficult it is to fill. No matter what the state of the economy, chances are good that any number of employers will still need data scientists, experts in A.I. and machine learning, and other specialists who can drive their strategies. Keep that in mind as you plot out your training and up-skilling opportunities in the near- and long-term.