Where the (Tech) Jobs Are

by Paula Santonocito

The January edition of The Dice Report, a monthly newsletter from technology job board Dice, takes a look at where the tech jobs are. But it also provides an interesting snapshot of a recovering economy.

Based on number of jobs posted by zip code on Dice as of January 4, 2010, the New York/New Jersey area leads the way in available tech jobs, followed closely by Washington, D.C./Baltimore.

Every other metro area, even those in the top ten, is way behind the two frontrunners.

It's also interesting to note the breakdown of available tech jobs: 28,142 are full-time positions; 23,590 are contract positions; and 1,074 offer part-time employment.

What does it all mean?

Dice's georgaphical breakdown of open positions suggests that the economic recovery has begun, but that it is still very much regional in scope. Meanwhile, the site's ratio of full-time to contract jobs suggests employers remain cautious about adding to staff, while they also recognize the need for workers.

Granted, tech tends to employ more contractors than a lot of other fields, but the number of open contract positions in comparison to full-time jobs is high, even for tech.

No one industry can provide a complete look at the economy as it relates to recruitment and hiring, but the information shared by Dice offers worthwhile information—whether or not you're focused on tech employment.