RALEIGH – Demand for high-tech talent across North Carolina dropped in November as a resurging COVID-19 pandemic brought more pressure on the economy. But big tech firms are continuing to hire, especially so in Raleigh, says a new report.

Posted job openings fell to 28,120 last month from nearly 30,000 in October, according to the latest IT Job Trends report from the NC Technology Association. And in a reflection of how hard the pandemic has hit the tech sector, job openings from nearly 31,000 in November 2019.

However, there are some positive signs.

In Raleigh, for example, more than 9,500 jobs are listed – up nearly 10% year-over-year. That’s also the largest number of openings in the state. IBM, which has a big campus in RTP and also is the parent of Raleigh-based Red Hat, is among the firms most active in he jobs market as it and Red Hat expand efforts in the cloud.

Unfortunately, job demand in Charlotte is down more than 16% and open positions in Durham plunged nearly 22% compared to 2019.

“From last year to this year, the greatest number of available positions are highly focused in the technology industry with employers like Oracle, IBM, HCL Technologies, Cisco, and SYSTEL accounting for a quarter of the available employment opportunities,” says the report with information compiled by sponsors Clarkston Consulting and Momentum.

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Employers posting the most jobs include:

  • Oracle
  • IBM
  • HCL Technologies
  • Cisco
  • MUFG
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • SYSTEL
  • Deloitte
  • Wells Fargo
  • Spectrum

The biggest need, the report says, is for “cloud” tech experiences – a reflection of the global shift to cloud-based networks and operations during the pandemic.

“Cloud technology continues to be a significant focus for employers with 7 of the 10 highest in demand skills focused on cloud capabilities, including cloud infrastructure, cloud environments, cloud services, cloud platforms, and Oracle cloud,” the report notes.

And hiring might tick up again as the delivery of a pandemic vaccine begins.

“After rebounding in October, IT job openings in North Carolina dipped in November, a trend seen in the overall hiring reports nationally for those two months,” said Brooks Raiford, CEO of NC TECH, about the report. “With the news of near-term availability of COVID vaccines, it will be interesting to see if any optimism from that will translate into a boost in hiring,” he added.