Employers continued posting droves of technology jobs in the third quarter, but the frantic pace has abated slightly compared to earlier in 2021.
According to a CompTIA analysis of Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights data, 77% of the nation’s largest metro areas posted at least a 20% increase in tech job postings in the third quarter compared to a year ago. Only three of the 70 metros in the analysis had fewer postings compared to a year ago.
But the majority of large metros (58%) had fewer job postings in the third quarter than in the second quarter. Nationally, postings decreased by 1% between the second and third quarters. About 10,000 fewer tech jobs were posted nationally.
Decreases were the norm across several major metros in the state of Alabama.
In the Birmingham metro area, 2,181 tech jobs were posted in the recent quarter, down from 2,995 in Q2 of this year, marking a 27% decrease, according to the data. This is still an increase from Q3 2020, where the number of tech job postings stood at 1,431.
Huntsville also saw a slight decrease as well but not as steep. Q3 tech job postings in the rocket city were at 3,700, down from 4,407 in Q2 2021, compounding in a 16% decrease for the market. This is still above last year where Q3 2020 was only 2,878 in Huntsville.
Tuscaloosa only had 210 postings this quarter compared with 365 last quarter, marking a 42% drop. This still stands above Q3 2020, where the number of postings stood at 125.
Montgomery saw 1,132 postings in Q3, down from 1,778 in Q2, leading to a 36% drop. This also is still an improvement from 2020, where the number of tech job postings at this point last year was 723.
The Business Journals used the CompTIA data to create a list of the top markets for technology job growth over the past year.
Here are some more insights and takeaways from the data.
The hiring picture
While numerous industries are grappling with labor shortages, the battle for talent has been particularly intense for those with tech skills because those individuals are in demand across a broad spectrum of industries.
Data from CompTIA shows significant spikes in postings for roles in cybersecurity, in particular.
Cybersecurity positions accounted for about 20% of postings in IT occupations. Cybersecurity postings are also up about 17%.
“It’s been an especially challenging period on the cybersecurity front with attacks on critical infrastructure, the growing threat of ransomware, and of course, new vulnerabilities brought on by the pandemic,” said Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA. “The persistently tight labor market for cybersecurity professionals means employers must cast an even wider net and look internally to develop talent from within their own ranks.“
The labor market has resulted in employers raising wages, offering bonuses and work-from-home flexibility and looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the pack.
Rising stars
While some of the nation’s largest business centers were among the top markets for growth, a number of emerging markets made the cut, including Springfield, Massachusetts; Lansing, Michigan; and Tallahassee, Florida.
Among rising star markets for tech jobs, major universities were often a common thread, as illustrated by markets like Tallahassee (Florida State University), Lansing Michigan (Michigan State University) and Boulder, Colorado (University of Colorado).
Arkansas, North Dakota and Mississippi were among the top gainers on a statewide basis.
Heavy hitters
In terms of total job postings, New York City (60,916), Washington, D.C., (50,039), and Dallas (49,059) led the way, outpacing both San Francisco (35,278) and Silicon Valley (24,544).
Overall, most California markets didn’t fare well in terms of growth in postings.
Tech job postings in San Jose were only up 4% between the third quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2021. San Francisco posted just a 15% increase.
Since the second quarter of 2021, tech job postings actually decreased 15% in San Jose.
Dallas (17,080) and New York City (12,572) also led the way for the raw increase in postings compared to the prior year.
Who's hiring for tech jobs?
CompTIA's data showed the top employers for tech job postings in September spanned a range of industries.
General Dynamics (7,942) had the most postings, but Big Four accounting firm Deloitte (5,552), Microsoft Corp. (4,037), health care giant Humana (3,094) and Wells Fargo & Co. were among the top 10.
