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High-tech job demand continues to grow in North Carolina

Job openings climb

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• TEK Systems
• NCTA North Carolina Technology Association
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(Note: Updated with specific market demand and job openings by skills.)

Local Tech Wire

RALEIGH, N.C. – The outlook for information technology jobs continues to improve in North Carolina, according to new data from TEK Systems and talent management firm SkillProof.

SkillProof ‘s IT Job Trends report for May showed an 8.4 percent surge in average daily job listings to 2,790 from April. Job openings have increased four consecutive months.

A year ago, IT openings were less than half that new May total - 1,250.

“The negative job market trend which has prevailed for the past two years is beginning to turn,” SkillProof said in the report issued in partnership with the North Carolina Technology Association.

“Nevertheless,” the report cautioned, “demand is still about half of our recorded peak in May 2007.”

TEK Systems, meanwhile, reported that statewide IT employment is up 4.5 percent this year. Tek Systems’ N.C. Workforce Market Analysis is also done in partnership with NCTA.

“The key milestones in this month's report are that year-over-year actual employment in the IT sector is up 4.5 % in North Carolina, and the trend in job openings marks the fourth consecutive month of growth, a trend that has not been seen in more than two years,” said NCTA Chief Executive Officer Brooks Raiford in a statement.

Raiford noted IT demand is at its highest level since October of 2008, just as the global recession really began to bite.

In the TEK report, IT job employment in Charlotte is up 8 percent so far this year followed by Raleigh-Cary at 6 percent. However, the biggest gains have taken place in the Hickory-Lenior-Morgantown metro statistical area at 9.8 percent.

Durham IT employment has declined 2.3 percent.

Job category demand

From SkillProof, the greatest number of job openings on a daily basis were for systems engineering and support at 820, up from 520 a year ago.

The top IT job openings by category with the number from a year ago in parenthesis:

• Total IT job market: 2,970 (1,250)

• Systems engineering and support: 820 (520)

• IT management: 590 (100)

• IT architects/consultants: 480 (90)

• Software development: 490 (210)

• IT sales and marketing: 220 (60)

• Systems administration: 170 (150)

• Business/process design: 80 (60)

• Hardware engineering: 50 (10)

• Training/tech writing: 10 (10)

• Misc. 60 (40)

Specific skill demand

For specific skill demand, SkillProof reported big jumps in Oracle Data Base Management, Business Analysis, Java, SQL and large systems categories.

The breakdown for top 15 skills with May 2009 fdemand in parenthesis:

• Oracle DBMS: 450 (130)

• Business Analysis: 430 (110)

• Java: 430 (160)

• SQL: 390 (150)

• Large systems technologies: 350 (100)

• Windows OS: 320 (390)

• Unix: 310 (150)

• Microsoft SQL Server: 280 (80)

• C++/VC++: 240 (110)

• Linux: 220 (90)

• SAP: 160 960)

• Websphere (IBM): 160 960)

• DB2 (IBM): 140 (40)

• Web Services: 130 (50)

• Mainframe: 130 (30)

 

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