Economic, geopolitical and technological uncertainties weigh on tech hiring
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., June 6, 2025 -- Uneasiness continues to weigh on tech hiring activity, according to CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products.
“It is undoubtedly a challenging time for employers and job seekers facing uncertainty on multiple fronts"
Tech sector companies added a modest 1,571 net new employees in May, analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data reveals.1 Job growth in cloud infrastructure and tech services was offset by reductions in the telecommunications sector.
Tech occupation employment across the economy declined by an estimated 131,000 positions.2 With prior month employment gains, tech occupation employment remains in the positive for the year.
The unemployment rate for tech occupations for May was 3.4%, roughly in line with April's 3.5% rate. The tech unemployment rate continues to sit below the national rate.
"It is undoubtedly a challenging time for employers and job seekers facing uncertainty on multiple fronts," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer, CompTIA. "At the same time, it requires taking a measured approach given the data continues to hold up reasonably well."
Active employer job postings for tech positions reached nearly 470,000 last month, including 208,791 new postings added in May.3 There was solid employer demand for software developers and engineers, tech support specialists, systems engineers and architects and cybersecurity engineers and architects.
Hiring for artificial intelligence (AI) positions and those requiring AI skills continues to increase at a rapid pace, according to CompTIA analysis of Lightcast data. Employer job postings related to AI are up 117% year-to-date year-over-year.
Skills-based hiring remains core to many employers' recruiting strategies. About one-half of all tech job postings did not specify a need for a four-year academic degree, but rather some combination of work experience, training and industry-recognized certification.
The finance and insurance industry sector saw a 21% increase in new tech occupation job postings in May, while new tech job openings in the retail sector rose by 16%.
The New York City, Washington and Dallas metropolitan areas had the highest volumes of tech job postings for the month. Four metro markets experienced double-digit percentage increases in tech job postings from April to May: Virginia Beach (+25%), Colorado Springs (+16%), San Diego (15%) and Seattle (+10%).
The "CompTIA Tech Jobs Report" is available here.
About CompTIA
CompTIA Inc. is the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products. CompTIA unlocks potential in millions of aspiring technology professionals and careers changers. Working in partnership with thousands of academic institutions and training providers, CompTIA helps students build career-ready skills through best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career resources. Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/.
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