TechAmerica Foundation's latest report shows that the U.S. high-tech industry has added nearly 100,000 jobs between January and June of 2012. This represents a 1.7% gain. The report takes in account four sectors within the high-tech industry and it found there was job growth in three of the four sectors. The sectors are: tech manufacturing, communications services, software services, and engineering and tech services.
The report examined 18 months and determined that there was monthly job gains in 16 of the 18 months, with employment growing from 5.8 million to nearly 6.0 million, an increase of 3.3% or nearly 200,000.
According to Matthew Kazmierczak, Senior Vice President, TechAmerica Foundation, the technology industry is adding jobs as new innovations are helping to propel the tech industry forward. "Tech employment as of June 2012 stood at nearly 6 million, compared to 5.8 million just 18 months ago," said Kazmierczak. "The growth has been modest and fairly consistent. We remain optimistic about continued growth into the future," he continued.
During the fisrt six months of 2012, technology emplyment grew in software services, engineering and tech services, and technology manufacturing. However, in the communications services industry there was a decline of some 10,700 net jobs.
Jennifer Kerber, TechAmericas's foundation president said that a strong and vibrant technology industry is critical to supporting an economic recovery and eventhough the tech industry has weathered the downturn better than most, TechAmerica can't take its strength for granted.
"Global economic and market forces continue to put the technology industry in a position of intense competition," said Kerber. "[This is] a competition for innovation, where labor and intellectual property provide the foundation for growth. America can only realize the full promise of an innovation economy with smarter public policies focused on developing and attracting the best talent, investing in research and development, and growing and securing our information infrastructure," she added.
