Editor’s note: The Skinny blog is written by WRAL TechWire cofounder and editor Rick Smith.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Companies throughout North Carolina are continuing to hire software developers with thousands of jobs available despite the pandemic, according to a new report. In fact, COVID-19 fallout is helping drive demand as companies use technology for work-from-home and cloud computing to combat a changing economy.

More than 7,850 software jobs were posted in September, a huge 13.4% positive difference than a year ago when the state and US economy was roaring.

So says the N.C. Technology Association in its monthly IT Job Trends report.

Rick Smith, WRAL TechWire’s editor and a cofounder, writes The Skinny.

In face, developers have been in demand at higher levels compared to pre-COVID 2019 since June. After openings fell to under 6,000 in May, the total has increased each month, peaking at 7,878 in July which was 17% higher year-over-year.

So what’s driving demand?

The cloud along with opportunities created due to the pandemic, i.e. “work from home” or WFH, with many business offices still closed or limited to reduced capactities due to social distancing.

“Software development offers a unique opportunity to earn a secure, in-demand job made for remote work. For software developers, almost all work can be done online, agile teams collaborate virtually, and predictable schedules are the norm,” NC TECH notes.

“According to a recent survey, 85% of software and IT professionals were confident they could work from home effectively and 82% were confident the industry could be effective remotely.”

Then there is the cloud.

“The vast and rapid explosion of cloud technologies as a result of remote working conditions related to COVID-19 has led to an equally significant increase in demand for cloud capabilities,” the report explains.

“Oracle cloud, cloud infrastructure, cloud environments, and cloud services are among the top 10 skill sets in demand compared to the same time period last year. Complementing this demand for cloud capabilities, businesses with a focus on cloud, network, and mobile services have the highest number of available positions, including Oracle, IBM, Spectrum, Cisco, and Thoughtwave Software and Solutions.”

Here’s a breakdown by occupations with Sept. openings followed by growth or decline in demand year-over-year:

  • Software Developers: 7,857, +13.4%
  • Network + Computer Systems Administrators: 2,791, -9.4%
  • Computer User Support Specialists: 2,151, -23.0%
  • Computer Systems Engineers/Architects: 2,135, -0.1%
  • Information Security Analysts: 2,113, +3.1%
  • Information Technology Project Managers: 1,961, -24.1%
  • Computer Systems Analysts: 1,947, -23.9%
  • Computer + Information Systems Managers: 1,376, -6.3%
  • Web Developers: 1,093, -31.4%
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineers: 896, -24.8%
  • TOTALS Including All Others: 26,305, -7.0%

Top needed skills were:

  • Analysis 12,350
  • Architecture 10,793
  • Security 10,579
  • Innovation 10,533
  • Computer Science 8,976
  • Testing 8,887
  • Infrastructure 8,480
  • Integrations 8,309
  • Operations 8,067
  • Databases 8,060

And the hiring firms are not just in high tech.

The top 10 hirers:

  • Oracle
  • IBM
  • Spectrum
  • HCL Technologies
  • Humana
  • Thoughtwave Software + Solutions
  • Bank of America
  • Deloitte
  • Cisco
  • IQVIA

Overall, information technology job openings fell slightly from August to slightly over 26,000.

Demand fell sharply in Raleigh, Durham-Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Greensboro-High Point, but more jobs elsewhere offset the major metro declines, says NC TECH.

“The decline [in the big metros] is counterbalanced by more equitable growth in geographic availability across the state, with more positions available in more areas than previous months, where job growth was relatively limited to fewer regions,” an analysis of the data shows.

“Though there’s been an overall decrease in available positions, employers continue to seek out full-time workers with permanent positions representing 90% of available job openings.”

NC TECH graphic