The daily average of advertised openings for information technology jobs across North Carolina improved slightly last month but remains well below 2013 levels.

Some 3,030 openings were available per day, according to the new North Carolina IT Job Trends report from the North Carolina Technology Association with data provided by talent management firm SkillProof.

That total is a 1.7 percent improvement from February.

This could “be a turning point,” the report says after months of decline in employment activity.

“The general job market in North Carolina had dropped over the past four months but showed improvements in February and March. The IT job market may be picking up as part of this development.”

However, a year ago the average was 3,930.

“Compared to March of last year the current need for IT professionals is down 22.9%,” the report notes. “While this appears to be a lot, the volume of job postings can swing significantly reflecting changes in business confidence. Even with lower business confidence actual payroll may be growing.”

Nationally, the IT jobs environment improved but by less than 1 percent.

Job demand by category, with the March 2013 average in parenthesis:

Category, Mar 14 (Mar 13) 

  • Total IT Job Market: 3030 (3930)
  • Systems Eng./Support 720 (1020)
  • IT Management 670 (620)
  • IT  Architects/Consultants 450 (870)
  • Software Development 410 (640)
  • Hardware Engineering 200 (300)
  • IT Sales and Marketing 170 (250)
  • Business/Process Design 150 (50)
  • Systems Administration 140 (130)
  • Training/Tech Writing 40 (10)
  • Misc.IT Job Categories 80 (60)

Top 15 Needed Skills:

  • Average daily job postings,  Mar 14 (Mar 13 in parenthesis)
  • Java 460 (550)
  • SQL 410 (600)
  • Windows OS 330 (540)
  • Business Analysis 330 (590)
  • Linux 320 (520)
  • Oracle DBMS 300 (480)
  • Unix 280 (480)
  • Web Services 270 (250)
  • Large system technologies 240 (490)
  • C++/VC++ 230 (550)
  • Offshore team coordination 220 (130)
  • Perl 220 (260)
  • XML 210 (230)
  • ITIL 190 (250)
  • Virtualization 190 (320)