Technology occupation employment increased in August and employer demand for new tech talent remained strong, according to analysis by CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral technology training and certifications.

Tech occupation employment, which includes tech professionals working across all industry sectors, increased by 86,000 workers in August, CompTIA's analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data shows.¹

The employment picture within the technology sector moved in the opposite direction. Tech companies reduced staffing by about 14,700 positions, inclusive of both technical and non-technical positions. The latest data may reflect the impact of layoffs disclosed in recent months by US-headquartered tech companies.

Demand for AI skills continues to accelerate, with active job postings requiring AI-related capabilities surpassing 320,000 openings in August, a 4.5% increase from July, according to CompTIA's analysis of data from Lightcast.² The increase aligns with new CompTIA research that indicates employers are moving beyond AI experimentation and increasingly incorporating AI into business operations, creating demand for workers who can apply AI tools, manage AI-enabled workflows, and support AI-driven initiatives.³

More broadly, employer demand for technology talent remains healthy. There were nearly 600,000 active technology occupation postings during the month, with 42% representing newly advertised positions.⁴ Growth in tech support, infrastructure, project management and cybersecurity roles suggests employers remain focused on strengthening core technology functions while expanding emerging capabilities.

Professional, scientific and technical services, manufacturing, and administrative support services generated the highest volumes of new technology job postings. Several industry sectors, including retail, wholesale trade, and educational services, also recorded month-over-month gains, underscoring the widespread need for technology talent across the economy.

The "CompTIA Tech Jobs Report" is available at https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/tech-jobs-report/.