High-tech job seekers in North Carolina can mine and find a new nuggets in the latest IT Job Trends report from the North Carolina Technology Association.

Some job listings for specific categories of high-tech employment, such as hardware engineering, increased in September from the previous month. But overall openings declined for the third consecutive month and are well under the total openings a year earlier.

Companies listed on average 3,730 jobs last month, down 1.1 percent from August and nearly 400 from September 2012.

As the report, which is based on information from talent management firm SkillProof, says the information reflects “further eroding labor demand.”

As mentioned, demand in a few categories and for specific skill sets increased:

  • IT management surged to 800 from 670 when compared to a year ago
  • Also up is hardware engineering,
  • And business process design
  • Plus the ever-popular “miscellaneous IT job categories” 

In terms of specific skills, firms need a lot more Perl programmers (320 vs. 280 a year ago).

But here’s a number sure to irritate job seekers and those who oppose more liberal immigration policies:

“Offshore team coordination” openings were up to 220 from 180.

Nationally, the IT job data was worse. Openings declined 2.5 percent – and that was well ahead of the federal government budget showdown.

Meanwhile, overall employment in the state’s high-tech sector remained flat with some 90,000 workers spread across “Information” and “Professional and Business Services” as defined by labor statistics.

The North Carolina jobless rate was 8.7 percent, down from 8.9 percent a year earlier.

IT Job Opening Estimates by Category (Sept. 2012 in parenthesis): 

  • Total IT Job Market: 3730 (4110)
  • Systems Eng./Support: 900 (1300)
  • IT Management: 800 (670)
  • Software Development: 670 (710)
  • IT Architects/Consultants: 500 (620)
  • Hardware Engineering: 240 (140)
  • IT Sales and Marketing: 220 (210)
  • Business/Process Design: 180 (80)
  • Systems Administration: 90 (300)
  • Training/Tech Writing: 40 (50)
  • Misc.IT Job Categories: 100 (40)

Top 15 Needed Skills Job Openings (Sept. 2012 in parenthesis):

  • Java: 580 (640)
  • SQL: 530 (720)
  • Business Analysis: 440 (460)
  • Windows OS: 390 (660)
  • C++/VC++: 380 (450)
  • Oracle DBMS: 370 (550)
  • Large system technologies: 370 (390)
  • Unix: 340 (600)
  • Perl: 320 (280)
  • Linux: 310 (480)
  • Virtualization Technology: 250 (360)
  • Microsoft SQL Server: 240 (390)
  • Offshore team coordination: 220 (180)
  • Web Services: 210 (290)
  • XML: 200 (270)

NCTA offers more jobs information at its website.