RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Even as technology companies added more workers for the 24th consecutive month and technology occupations expanded across the U.S. economy in November, a new report from CompTIA shows that the number of job openings is dropping.

That includes in North Carolina, where tech job postings plummeted by nearly 24% between October and November, the report found.

The number of advertised roles last month was 9,897, a decrease of 2,352 posted roles in October.  And since August, when there were 14,687 open jobs posted statewide, the drop has been even more severe, more than 48%, according to the analysis of the data. 

Still, tech occupations across all industry sectors increased by 137,000 positions in November, according to the analysis, which is based on Lightcast data.

And it’s not uncommon to see a drop in technology job postings at this time of year, Steven Ostrowski, the senior director of corporate communications at CompTIA told WRAL TechWire.

“November’s decline in tech jobs postings mirrors the national trend, which saw a drop in help wanted ads, but still totaled nearly 270,000,” said Ostrowski about the decrease in North Carolina’s technology job postings.  “The time of year may be a factor in the lower numbers. In each of the last five years, we’ve seen job postings decline from October to November–a signal that companies may not be as aggressive in their hiring in and around a holiday.”

The CompTIA report follows one released by the North Carolina Technology Association, NC TECH, which found that the number of job openings in October for tech roles in North Carolina reached a new high.  Similarly, the CompTIA report found that the number of technology job postings increased in October by 519 roles. 

What’s happening in the Triangle?

There’s been a decline in tech job postings in Raleigh, too, with a drop of nearly 27% between October and November, according to the data, which was obtained by WRAL TechWire from Ostrowski.

The data shows that tech job openings in the Raleigh metropolitan statistical area fell to the lowest point this year, with 2,324 openings posted last month.  In August, there were 3,845 tech jobs open in the MSA, which includes Wake, Johnston, and Franklin Counties.

And the number of job openings in the Triangle, whether tech roles or other employment opportunities, may be decreasing in December, as well. 

That’s according to the latest analysis from WRAL TechWire, which showed that the number of open roles posted on job boards decreased on 11 of the 20 job board searches tracked by WRAL TechWire.

But there is good news: the total aggregate number of open jobs across all searches tracked by WRAL TechWire increased by 2% last week.

However, compared to a month ago, when job openings totaled more than 350,000 openings, the number of open roles in the Triangle has fallen by nearly 14,500 jobs. 

Job postings are dropping across Triangle – is it time to panic?

The latest on the Triangle labor market

WRAL TechWire’s weekly Jobs Report compiles the latest information from the region’s top job boards, offering a breakdown of how many jobs are posted, which companies are hiring, and what positions are most in-demand.  Here’s what’s changed since the last WRAL TechWire Jobs Report.

Each week, WRAL TechWire tracks the total number of Triangle-area positions posted on major job websites, across 20 different searches. Here is the latest data, as of Monday morning.  We use the shorthand abbreviation "MoM" for month-over-month and "YTD" for year-to-date in our report.  This week's report also includes tracking the month-over-month gains as a percentage increase or decrease in the total number of postings measured by WRAL TechWire and the change in opening from the beginning of the year.

Editor's Notes: The month-over-month totals are compared to our November 7 jobs report, and the year-to-date totals compare to our Jan. 3 report.  **We've also updated the methodology for which we track Johnston County job openings on LinkedIn, twice now, in July and in August, as the platform updated how jobs display, and in today's report return to month-over-month comparisons.  *And, the year-to-date data for Johnston County tracks from Jan. 31, 2022, when we began to track job postings in the county for the WRAL TechWire Jobs Report. 

Fighting worker shortage, Wake, Raleigh & N.C. offer bonuses, other perks

Triangle Startup Jobs Report

The job market may be changing week-by-week, but in the startup ecosystem, there's a clear trendline: decreasing job openings.  While last week's report showed a slowing of postings on all 15 startup job board searches tracked by WRAL TechWire, this week, nine of the 15 searches show a decreasing number of openings, with a decrease of more than 2,000 jobs or 9.14% of postings from a week ago. 

For those interested in the entrepreneurial economy, job seekers can also find local startup positions at these job boards and websites, as tracked by the WRAL TechWire Jobs Report.

 

 

Corporate openings are decreasing, too - but not everywhere

Of the 42 firms that WRAL TechWire tracks for the weekly WRAL TechWire Jobs Report, 11 are hiring for more openings than they were a month ago. 

And while five companies are hiring for the same number of open jobs as they were on November 7, 2022, 26 companies are hiring for a fewer number of open roles at their organizations. 

In total, there are now 3,623 openings at these 42 firms, a decrease of 416 open positions from a month ago. 

But not all companies are slowing hiring. 

In fact, there are some firms with a major presence in the state that continue to hire, said Ostrowski.  Firms like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Fidelity, Humana, MetLife, and more continue to hire.  That aligns with the national data, said Ostrowski. 

"The finance and insurance sector had the second highest total of tech job postings last month, behind only the professional, scientific and technical services sector," he noted.  "So far this year tech hiring by finance and insurance companies is up about 35% over last year."

 

Other resources to find Triangle job postings

Below, we’ve gathered the latest upcoming job fairs, student-centric resources, and a list of Twitter accounts that track local job openings. 

If you’re a student looking for an internship or entry-level position at a local company or organization, your university has resources to help you get started. Quick links below:

For Johnston County job seekers: The recently launched JoCo Careers website helps job seekers find companies hiring in Johnston County. (More TechWire coverage here.)  

Look for Triangle job postings on these Twitter accounts

Here are some locally run Twitter accounts that regularly share job openings in the Triangle: