RALEIGH – Economic headwinds – from higher interest rates to a slowdown in the tech sector, triggering hundreds of thousands of layoffs across the US over the past six months – are drying up information technology jobs in North Carolina.

Advertised openings fell to a new record low in March from the previous dubious record set a month before – and at  just north of 18,000 are just half the jobs posted in March 2022. That’s according to the latest NC TECH IT Job Trends report.

Openings have fallen now for five consecutive months as talk grows about a possible recession later this year thanks to steady increases in interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

The drop in tech jobs reflects findings in WRAL TechWire’s exclusive Jobs Report which has recorded fewer listings across all sectors for five consecutive weeks to a new low. A new report will be posted Tuesday.

Postings fell heavily in the state’s largest job markets:

  • Charlotte openings: 7,812 , down -45%
  • Raleigh openings: 4,822, down -54%
  • Durham-Chapel Hill openings: 1,973, down -49%

North Carolina is not alone; US IT job openings fell to 580,412, down -41% from March 2022, the report notes.

NC TECH graphic

“It’s a bit of a shock to see the March IT Job Postings at half the March 2022 level,” said Andrea Fleming, Director of Talent + Workforce Development for NC TECH, about the report.

“But it’s important to note first that 2022 was a record-setting year for IT job postings, and second, these figures are only one piece of the puzzle for what is happening in the tech labor market,” Fleming added. “Prolonged economic uncertainty, the failing of a major tech-focused bank, layoffs and hiring freezes, and increases in contract work are just a few of the impacts on tech talent.”

In a recent survey for NC TECH, most executives said they still have plans to hire more workers, Fleming noted.

Job openings by metro area:

Metro, openings, year-over-year

  • Charlotte / Concord / Gastonia: 7,812 -45%
  • Raleigh: 4,822 -54%
  • Durham / Chapel Hill: 1,973 -49%
  • Fayetteville: 739 -16%
  • Greensboro / High Point: 580 -61%
  • Winston-Salem: 458 -41%
  • Burlington: 222 -36%
  • Wilmington: 216 -51%
  • Asheville: 186 -20%
  • Greenville: 101 -72%
  • Jacksonville: 89 -26%
  • Hickory / Lenoir / Morganton: 50 -59%
  • New Bern: 36 -66%

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