Washington, DC, June 26, 2002— High-tech industry employment in the District of Columbia was up by only 200 jobs in 2001, with tech employment totaling 17,900. This was a dramatic change from the previous year when technology employment grew by 1,800 jobs, according to Cyberstates 2002: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, a new analytical report released today by AeA.

Electronics exports from the District of Columbia declined slightly in 2001, falling five percent to $96 billion from $100 billion in 2000. The District of Columbia’s high-tech exports represented nine percent of total exports from the state in 2001.

Cyberstates 2002 also shows that venture capital investments in District of Columbia plummeted by an astonishing 83 percent between 2000 and 2001, dropping from $1.2 billion to $202 million.

"The technology slowdown had a mixed effect on the District of Columbia. While technology employment is up slightly in 2001, venture capital investment has been hit pretty hard," said Michael Jalbert, chairman and CEO of DC-based EFJ, Incorporated and vice chairman and of the AeA Potomac Council. "However, the District of Columbia continues to attract technology companies."

Nationally, Cyberstates 2002 shows that high-tech industry employment grew slightly in 2001, reaching 5.6 million, compared to 5.5 million in 2000. This one-percent increase illustrates the effect of the technology slowdown in 2001, compared to nine-percent growth in 2000.

Cyberstates 2002 is the sixth edition of AeA’s Cyberstates reports. The study includes nine chapters detailing national and state trends in employment, wages, and exports. Venture capital investments, research and development (R&D) expenditures, and computer and Internet home use are also examined. The report includes state rankings for each indicator. Cyberstates 2002 is based on the most current U.S. government data available.

What Does High Tech Mean for the District of Columbia?

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $66,400 (15^th ranked), or 33% more than the average private sector wage in 2000

• A decrease of $5 million in high-tech exports between 2000 and 2001

• Venture capital investments declined by 83% between 2000 and 2001, dropping by $988 million

• Home Internet access totaled 41%, ranked 46^th nationwide

Source: Cyberstates 2002
Data are for 2001 unless otherwise noted.
2000 data are the most current for wages, payroll, establishments, and industry segment jobs.

Published by the AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.AeAnet.org)