Employers shed tech workers in March while increasing job postings for new hiring
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – The unevenness that has characterized the technology employment market for several months continued in March, according to analysis by CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certifications.
Tech industry employment decreased by estimated 15,000 jobs last month, CompTIA’s analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data shows.[1] The largest share of staffing reductions were in the IT and custom software services and systems design occupation category, which lost 13,200 jobs, after adding 7,100 jobs in February.
Tech occupation employment, which includes technology professionals working in all industry sectors, decreased by 118,000 jobs last month.[2] The unemployment rate for tech occupations edged up to 3.9%.
At the same time employers reduced tech staffing, they increased the volume of tech occupation job postings for the third consecutive month to begin 2026. There were more than 537,000 job postings for tech positions in March, including 254,000 new postings added during the month. Last month’s job postings total was 9.7% more than February 2026 and 8.9% higher than the March 2025 figure.[3]
Several industry sectors recorded double-digit percentage increases in tech job postings last month, including real estate (+ 56.2%), retail trade (+ 27.1%), finance and insurance (+ 19%) and manufacturing (+ 15.7%).
Tech job postings were widely dispersed geographically. New York City, Washington and Dallas had the highest volumes, while San Francisco, Chicago and Washington saw the biggest increases in postings from February to March.
As AI skills continue to be a focus area across a wide range of job roles, employers are searching for a mix of technology positions to support AI adoption and ongoing digital transformation.
"The tech labor market is showing signs of stabilizing, as companies begin moving away from the more conservative approaches of the past year and consider future investments in talent that supports strategic digital initiatives,” said Seth Robinson, vice president, industry research, CompTIA.
CompTIA’s analysis reveals that 17% of March job postings targeted workers with eight years or more experience; 27% specified workers with four to seven years’ experience; and 20%, zero to three years.
The “CompTIA Tech Jobs Report” is available at https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/tech-jobs-report/.
[1] Labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings from Lightcast may be subject to backward revisions.
[2] Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility.
[3] Active job postings include new postings added by employers in the latest month and open postings carried over from previous months.
About CompTIA
CompTIA, Inc. is dedicated to unlocking potential for students, career changers, and professionals pursuing technology careers. Through education, training, certifications, and research, it promotes industry growth, builds a skilled workforce, and ensures technology's benefits are accessible to everyone.