IT Jobs Fall by 2% in First Half of Year

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, is “cautiously optimistic” about the latest IT job numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics which show the high-tech industry fell by 113,000 jobs (two percent) for the first six months of 2002.

Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the AeA’s Special Midyear 2002 Tech Employment Report provides a snapshot of technology statistics. The report quantifies monthly high-tech job changes for the 18-month period between January 2001 and June of this year.

“This new report captures the downturn of the tech industry,” said AeA’s president and CEO William T. Archey. “We are, however, cautiously optimistic as the latest monthly drop between May and June 2002 shows a decline of just 700 jobs — by far the smallest drop over the last year and a half. This was also the second consecutive month of decline in the loss of high-tech jobs.”

Archey also noted, “Software services rebounded by gaining 3,000 jobs during the first half 2002.”

High-technology manufacturing employment had the largest decline, falling by 58,000 jobs. Electro-medical equipment was the only manufacturing sector to gain employment, jumping by 1,600 jobs over the survey period.

IT services employment also fell over the first six months of this year. Not surprisingly, communications services shed 36,000 jobs, while software and computer-related services declined by 18,700 jobs.

The report is available to AeA members for $10 and to non-members for $20.

The Washington, D.C.-based AeA has more than 3,000 member companies that span the high-technology spectrum, from software, semiconductors and computers to Internet technology, advanced electronics and telecommunications systems and services.