IT Job Market Shrinks in January

IT job market lost 1,400 jobs in January plus most organizations have halted IT hiring. . .

IT Job Market Shrinks in January - Even with the overall unemployment rate falling to 6.6% there was a decrease in the total number of IT jobs as measured by the BLS data that was just reported. 1,400 IT jobs were lost in January and in the last 12 months only 75,500 jobs were created with most of those added in November.

The CEO of Janco Associates, Mr. Victor Janulaitis said, "The employment data is not as good as the fall in the national unemployment rate suggests and it seems to be worse for IT Pros. If you factor in the participation rate, the true national unemployment rate would be around 12.7%. Janulaitis added, "That data is causing many companies to consider wither they should expand IT staffs. Based recent interviews of 105 CIOs in the last two weeks, we see that CIOs have become more cautious as have their companies. Janulaitis said, "Add to the employment data the slowness of the recovery and it is not a good picture. "

The CEO added, "IT Pros are feeling the brunt of the hiring slow down as the average salaries they command are 'easy targets' for those trying to contain costs. " In Janco January 2014 IT salary survey we found that the average compensation for all IT Professionals is $79,289 without the cost of major benefits like health insurance and company contribution to 401Ks. "

IT Job Market Flat for FY 2024

There now are just over 121K unemployed IT Professionals. The IT job market shrank by over 48,600 jobs in CY 2023. Overall that is a flattening of the long term growth rate pattern of IT job market.

IT Job Market Forecast

IT Pros unemployed

Number of Open Jobs for IT Prosa
Data complied and forecast updated by Janco Associates with data as of March 2024

IT Hiring Plans

Changes in the number of net IT Jobs created or lost

In the last three (3) month the IT Job market shrank by 1,300 jobs. This chart is not the originally published one, rather it is updated with the current data based on the analysis by Janco Associates, Inc. For the latest IT Employment Data click here.


IT Job Market Growth

Moving average of IT job market growth
When Communications jobs (shrinking source of IT Jobs)
are excluded. AI is impacting this postions as more communication AI automation applications are implemented.

The three month moving average shows a continuing downtrend in the number of jobs added. From a review of the latest BLS data, Janco has found that there was a net increase of only 4,300 jobs in the last three months.

The labor market participation rate rose slightly but still is at a 30 year low of 63%. There are 3,200,000 fewer individuals working than in 2007. The CEO said, "The over-all labor participation rate continues to be lower this year than and other prior year. This alone will make it a very difficult process and does not bode well for IT expansion and hiring. "

Labor Force Participation

Labor Participation Rate in the low 60's

Inflation is pushing more people back into the active labor market

Labor Force Participation rate stabilized at lowest level in the last 50 years

101.1 million people in the U.S. are not counted in the labor force - see reasons why not working.

Net Change in Number of IT Pros Jobs

Updated with the latest IT Job Market statistics

Historic IT Job Market Growth Stops in CY 2023

Recent IT Job Market size

For current analysis of this data, go IT Job Market Size to see the historic job market growth trend data
Data as of March 2024

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