Cyberstates 2009

Executive Summary

TechAmerica is proud to present this 12th annual edition of our flagship publication, Cyberstates, previously published by AeA, which examines the size and scope of the high-technology industry in terms of jobs, wages, and other factors nationally and in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Despite the recent economic downturn, the high-tech industry added jobs to the U.S. economy for the fourth consecutive year. The tech industry added 77,000 net jobs in 2008, for a total of 5.9 million workers. This is on top of job gains of 79,600 in 2007, 139,000 in 2006, and 87,400 in 2005.

2008 was the fifth straight year of employment gains in the tech industry's two strongest sectors --- software services, which added 86,200 net jobs, and engineering and tech services, which added 26,600 net jobs. The downside is that high-tech manufacturing shed 23,100 jobs and communications services shed 12,700 jobs.

Cyberstates 2009 relies on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report provides 2008 national data on tech employment as well as 2007 national and state-by-state data on high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, wage differential, and employment concentration. All data are the most recent available at the time of publication.

Thirty-nine cyberstates experienced net job growth in 2007. The largest gains occurred in Texas (+14,700), Georgia (+13,100), Washington (+11,300), North Carolina (+5,500), and Virginia (+5,300). On a percentage basis, Kansas saw the fastest job growth in 2007 at 8.1 percent.

Virginia led the nation with the highest concentration of tech workers --- 92 of every 1,000 private sector workers in the state were employed in the tech industry. Virginia was followed by Massachusetts and Colorado.

The high-tech industry employs highly educated workers and pays them well --- 88 percent more than the average private sector wage nationwide. Forty-eight cyberstates had wage differentials higher than 50 percent and five cyberstates had differentials higher than 100 percent.

Although the U.S. high-tech industry continued to add jobs in 2008, future growth is clearly jeopardized as a result of the current economic downturn and the volatility of global financial markets. Our industry has weathered the storm longer than most, but recent announcements of job cuts at technology companies suggest that a fifth straight year of growth is --- at best --- questionable.

TechAmerica believes the bright spot in these hard times is the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act --- the federal stimulus package. In crafting this bill, Congress and the Obama Administration invested heavily in new technologies to improve our infrastructure, modernize our education and healthcare systems, and build a more energy efficient smart electrical grid. If properly deployed, these investments should enhance American competitiveness and create millions of new technology jobs.

To learn about the tech industry in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico buy Cyberstates 2009 Online TODAY or by calling 408.987.4200
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