NC high-tech job openings shrink 10% in July

Finding jobs in the information technology sector across North Carolina is getting harder. A new report from the N.C. Technology Association says high-tech job openings fell 10 percent in July from June, ending a six-month streak of more openings.

The daily average of advertised job openings last month declined to 3,960, a dip of 9.8 percent, says the monthly IT Jobs Trends report from NCTA, with data provided by talent management firm SkillProof.

The daily June average was 4,390.

“All industry sectors retreated except defense contractors where labor demand has been low for a while,” the report says.

In fact, openings for the top IT job categories declined in all but one of the 10 cited in the report. The exception: Hardware engineering.

And across 15 specific most-needed skill sets, openings grew compared to a year ago in one:

“Offshore team coordinators”

What does that figure tell you?

Nationally, IT job openings declined 1 percent.

And what about that economic recovery?

“So far this year the average monthly posted need for IT specialists is 12.7 percent below last year’s average and 3.7 percent below of that in 2011,” according to the report.

Data does show that the state has added 7,800 workers – some 3.1 percent – in information technology. But that information from the North Carolina Department of Labor is through June 30.

IT Job Opening Estimates by Category:

(July 2012 total in parenthesis)