Tech Hiring Surge Drives Unemployment Rate Down to Record Low

The tech industry's hiring surge continued in December, driving the tech unemployment rate down to a record low of 2%, according to CompTIA, the world's leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products. This marks the 100th release of the CompTIA Tech Jobs report, highlighting the dynamic and innovative nature of the tech workforce.

The tech unemployment rate dropped to 2% in December, the lowest level since November 2023, while the national unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged at 4.1%. The base of tech employment throughout the economy increased by a net new 7,000 positions, bringing the total to nearly 6.5 million workers. Meanwhile, employment within the technology industry sector declined by 6,117 jobs, accounting for a 1% decrease in the sector's workforce, which totals nearly 5.6 million people.

"Tech hiring activity remains robust, with companies continuing to invest in their tech teams despite the overall economic uncertainty," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer, CompTIA. "The tech industry's resilience and adaptability are evident in the strong job growth and record-low unemployment rate."

There were 434,415 active employer job postings for tech positions in December, including 165,189 newly added during the month. Both totals were down from November but still indicative of a strong demand for tech talent. Positions in software development and engineering, IT project management, cybersecurity, data science and analysis, and tech support had the most activity.

Companies with the largest numbers of December job postings included Amazon, Accenture, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GovCIO, Robert Half, Lumen Technologies, and Insight Global. Employers listed open positions at all career levels, with 22% seeking candidates with 0-3 years of experience, 28% seeking workers with 4-7 years of experience, and 16% seeking candidates with 8 years or more.

Across all tech occupations, 45% of December job postings did not specify a four-year degree requirement for applicants. Openings for network support specialists (85%), tech support specialists (72%), and computer programmers (54%) had notably higher percentages of positions not requiring a four-year degree.

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CompTIA

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[1] Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility.

[2] Labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings from Lightcast may be subject to backward revisions.

[3] Active job postings include open postings carried over from previous months and new postings added by employers.