IT employment declined in August, shedding 4,500 net jobs, according to TechServe Alliance, the national trade association for the IT & Engineering Staffing and Solutions Industry. The data also included slight downward revisions to employment figures for July. On a year-over-year basis, IT employment was down 0.05%, or 2,800 jobs. Engineering employment was down 0.15% in August, and down 0.35% compared to the same period last year.

“August’s decline in IT and engineering employment reflects the broader cooling we are now seeing in the labor market,” said Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe Alliance. “Persistent uncertainty about the economy, interest rates, public policy including tariffs as well as the changing skill set mix driven by the rise AI and automation, continue to restrain overall hiring activity. While new skill sets will continue to emerge, demand for IT professionals will likely remain subdued in the near term apart from those with specialized highly sought after skills around AI, automation and cybersecurity,” added Roberts.

For more details, download the pdf.