According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Texas is the fastest growing state for IT jobs in Texas. With the market booming across the United States, what does this mean for hiring managers and information technology professionals in Texas?
As summer hiring comes to a close, it's time to reflect on the exceptional, steady growth experienced over the past couple of months. IT employment continued to grow at a 0.3 percent rate in both June and July according to TechServe Alliance. This incremental growth has amounted to a 2.1% growth in IT employment since July 2013. Showing no signs of slowing, the IT industry is experiencing rapid growth and sprawl across the United States.
So where is IT growth most promising? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on a combination of the highest percentage growth and the most new positions added in the first half of 2014, Texas is the fastest growing state for jobs in the US. With a 5.99% growth rate, it's followed by Florida at 5.64% and North Carolina at 3.80%. This amazing growth grate has kicked Texas' IT industry into high gear. In fact, Texas now has the second largest workforce of technology professionals, following closely on the heels of the home of Silicon Valley, California.
According to Dice, "The Lone Star state has added 8,100 positions this year to employ 143,300 tech workers, nearly a six percent jump." An abundance of IT opportunities has attracted talented developers to Texas, but in a state so big it's easy to see why employers are still struggling to fill open positions. Part of this struggle is the Texas IT industry's focus on the future. Many opportunities being added in the IT industry here focus on mobile, Big Data and software development and are spread across the state in Dallas, Austin, Houston and other large metropolitan areas.
The steady growth seen throughout the summer will continue to spill over into the fall and shows no signs of slowing. With IT opportunities and talented technical professionals spread across several large cities, Texas IT companies will need to step up their game in order to attract the talent they need to the area they're in. Not to mention the various other states vying for the best and brightest IT minds available. As competition for seasoned IT professionals heats up, senior positions will prove exceptionally hard to fill, particularly at an organization that's unwilling to offer creative benefits or a salary increase. Putting an emphasis on finding cultural fit first and training will alleviate some of these stresses and provide IT companies in Texas with the abundance of technical professionals they need.
Sources: Dice, TechServe Alliance
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