© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Report: North Carolina companies need lots of I.T. workers

Public Domain

A new report shows job openings for information technology positions in North Carolina are at a record high.

Every month, the NC Technology Associationreleases a snapshot of IT job postings — software engineers, project managers, and other roles.

There were more than 49,000 openings in North Carolina last month — a 38% increase from March 2021.

All kinds of companies are hiring, according to association CEO Brooks Raiford.

“Belk's department stores employ hundreds of tech workers, but those tech workers don't work for the tech industry,” Raiford said. "On the other hand, IBM employs hundreds of people, maybe thousands, in sales or administrative roles or HR roles. And they aren't tech workers, but they're employed by the tech sector."

Raiford says the trend is due to pent-up demand from the pandemic, as well as companies that are looking to set up IT infrastructure for remote work. Charlotte and the Triangle saw the most postings in March, but Raiford says there is a growing need in smaller cities.

“We’ve noticed that Greenville, Jacksonville, places that have a large military presence have done pretty well,” Raiford said. “You’ve got not just the military presence, but military families. So, spouses, people coming out of the military and into the private sector workforce.”

Copyright 2022 North Carolina Public Radio. To see more, visit North Carolina Public Radio.

Bradley George