North Carolina’s Tech Industry Adds 2,900 Jobs
Job Growth Led by Computer Systems Design and Engineering Services

Alpharetta, GA (April 2, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released its 11th annual Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors. The report, Cyberstates 2008: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

North Carolina's high-tech industry added 2,900 net jobs – two percent of the state’s tech industry workforce – in 2006, the most recent year state data are available. North Carolina remained the 16th largest cyberstate, employing 145,200 tech workers with a total payroll of $10.5 billion. High-tech workers in North Carolina earn average wages of $72,300 – 94 percent higher than the state’s average private sector wage.

North Carolina’s largest tech industry gains in 2006 came in computer systems design and related services (+2,500 jobs), engineering services (+1,700 jobs), computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing (+1,500 jobs), and R&D and testing labs (+1,400 jobs). The biggest loss came in Internet services, which shed a staggering 4,000 jobs in 2006.

Venture capital investments in North Carolina rose 13 percent for a total of $577 million in 2007, up from $510 million in 2006, ranking the state 10th nationwide by this metric.

"The news for North Carolina’s tech industry is good but not great,” said Jon Van Duyne, Chair of the AeA Southeast Council. "We added jobs to the economy for the second year in a row in 2006, but that growth was slower than the 7,600 jobs added in 2005. Technology jobs are a boon for the entire Tar Heel State, as they pay an average wage that is 94 percent higher than the average private sector wage.”

“One of North Carolina’s greatest strengths is our outstanding universities, both within the Research Triangle and across the state,” said Van Duyne. “And I am not just talking about their outstanding basketball teams. Our universities conduct the cutting edge research that creates the knowledge that allows innovative companies to invent new products and services and create high paying jobs that benefit the state economy. We need to support efforts at the federal level to increase investment in long-term university research. We also need to push Congress to ease restrictions on companies hiring and keeping talented foreign nationals once they graduate from our universities."

Nationally, Cyberstates 2008 shows that the high-tech industry added jobs for the third consecutive year. Tech industry employment totaled 5.9 million, after adding 91,400 jobs in
2007. This is on top of job gains of 139,000 in 2006 and 87,400 in 2005.

This 11th edition of Cyberstates provides a comprehensive review of the high-tech industry nationally and state-by-state in terms of high-tech employment, wages, payroll, and establishments. Cyberstates also offers data on venture capital investments and R&D expenditures.

Two other major AeA cyber reports are forthcoming that analyze the U.S. high-tech industry: Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation’s Top 60 Cities, and Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade.

AeA members can purchase Cyberstates 2008 for $125; non-members for $250. Visit www.aeanet.org/cyberstates  to download the report, or call 408.987.4200. 

What Does High Tech Mean for North Carolina?

• 145,200 high-tech workers in 2006 (16th ranked cyberstate)
   

• 2,900 jobs added between 2005 and 2006, ranked 17th nationwide
   

• High-tech firms employed 44 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2006, ranked 25th nationwide
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $72,300 (20th ranked), or 94 percent more than North Carolina's average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $10.5 billion in 2006, ranked 15th nationwide
   

• 8,500 high-tech establishments in 2006, ranked 15th nationwide
   

• Venture capital investments of $577 million in 2007, up 13 percent from $510 million in 2006, ranked 10th nationwide
   

• R&D expenditures of $6.5 billion in 2004, ranked 14th nationwide

North Carolina's National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 6th in communications equipment manufacturing employment with 8,200 jobs
   

• 6th in computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing employment with 14,000 jobs
   

• 11th in Internet services employment with 11,800 jobs

Source: Cyberstates 2008

Data are for 2006 unless otherwise noted.

2006 state data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

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

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.   

This page was last updated on 03/28/08.   
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