Uncertainty and awareness are evident in new technology job data, a CompTIA survey finds
Employers laid off tech workers in March as they added jobs for new hires
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The imbalance that has been evident in the technology job market for several months continued in March, according to a survey by CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of training and certification in technology neutral technology (IT).
Technology industry employment fell by an estimated 15,000 jobs last month, CompTIA’s analysis of US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data shows.1 The largest share of job losses was in the IT job category and services for custom software and system architecture, which lost 13,200 jobs, after adding 7,100 jobs in February.
Hiring of technology jobs, which includes technology professionals working in all industry sectors, decreased by 118,000 jobs last month.2 The unemployment rate for technology jobs rose to 3.9%.
At the same time employers cut tech workers, they increased the number of tech jobs for the third consecutive month starting in 2026. There were more than 537,000 jobs for tech positions in March, including 254,000 new postings that month. The total number of jobs last month was 9.7% more than February 2026 and 8.9% more than the number of March 2025.3
Several industry sectors reported double-digit percentage increases in tech job postings last month, including real estate (+56.2%), retail (+27.1%), finance and insurance (+19%) and manufacturing (+15.7%).
Advertisements for tech jobs were scattered all over the place. New York City, Washington and Dallas had the highest volumes, while San Francisco, Chicago and Washington saw the largest increase in ads from February to March.
As AI skills continue to become an area of focus for many different jobs, employers are looking for a mix of technology positions to support the adoption of AI and ongoing digital transformation.
“The technology workforce market is showing signs of stability, as companies begin to move away from the static practices of the past year and consider future investments in talent that support digital strategy projects,” said Seth Robinson, vice president, industry research, CompTIA.
CompTIA’s analysis reveals that 17% of job vacancies in March were directed at workers with eight or more years of experience; 27% described workers with four to seven years of experience; and 20%, zero for three years.
The “CompTIA Tech Jobs Report” is available at https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/research/tech-jobs-report/.
About CompTIA
CompTIAInc. is the world’s leading provider of training and certification products for vendor neutral (IT) CompTIA unlocking opportunities for millions of aspiring technologists and career changers. Working in partnership with thousands of educational institutions and training providers, CompTIA helps students build career-ready skills through world-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career resources. Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/.
Get in touch
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
630-678-8468
1 Labor market data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and job listings from Lightcast may be subject to recent reviews.
2 Monthly employment data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has high levels of volatility.
3 Current job postings include new job postings posted by employers in the past month and open postings from previous months.
SOURCE CompTIA
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