RALEIGH – North Carolina’s tech employment growth continued in 2022, even though hiring slowed at the end of the year as economic headwinds increased and layoffs in the high tech sector surged.

That’s according to a new report from the North Carolina Technology Association, NC TECH, which found that companies across North Carolina are looking for more tech talent.

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Though the organization recorded a decrease in the number of IT jobs in North Carolina posted in December 2022 compared to the prior month and year-over-year the overall trendline suggests that tech employment may continue to increase, despite recent reports of layoffs in the tech sector.

The organization, which released its monthly report of available information technology jobs in North Carolina on Monday, found tens of thousands of IT jobs were available in December 2022 across the state. And many notable companies with operations in the Triangle have increased hiring to begin 2023, the latest WRAL TechWire Jobs Report found.

NC TECH Chart

What’s happening

“2022 ended with another slight decline in IT Job Postings across North Carolina,” said Andrea Fleming, director of talent and workforce at NC TECH.  “While concerning, this is not a surprise. Many big names have announced layoffs and often fourth quarter is slower than other times during the year.”

Fleming told WRAL TechWire last week that even with recent layoff announcements, North Carolina’s economy remains diverse, and there are many technology roles at companies that aren’t necessarily considered technology firms.

“Overall, these announcements dims the outlook for the Triangle given the importance of tech, but the offset for us is that that we continue to see strong demand for tech skills as illustrated by the employment data last month,” said Dr. Gerald Cohen, chief economist at the Kenan Institute, in an interview with WRAL TechWire.  “That should act as a cushion for the region – especially as non-tech businesses are coming here to take advantage of our talent.”

Cohen also noted that the Triangle is still expected to be one of the best performing local economies in the nation, as projected by the American Growth Project, an initiative of the Kenan Institute, which projected the region to rank fourth in the nation for GDP growth rate in 2023.

“Layoffs and monthly decreases in job postings have certainly been in recent news headlines not only in North Carolina, but across the US,” said Fleming.  “Looking at longer time periods smooth the monthly fluctuations and seasonal dips to provide a broad look at IT Job Trends. North Carolina weathered many of the economic impacts of Covid-19 well, and is continuing to hold strong with companies expanding and relocating to the state,” Fleming noted.

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