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If you were considering an IT job or a job change in 2023, the U.S. market was cooling—but that did not mean every technology role had the same prospects. Broad labor-market measures showed fewer openings and hires over the year, while long-range Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projections pointed to strong growth in some computer occupations and declines in others. Those projections help frame a decision; they do not predict whether a particular person will land a particular job.
What did the U.S. job market look like in 2023?
The broad U.S. labor market cooled during 2023. The BLS reported that annual job openings and hires fell, while layoffs and discharges rose. These are economy-wide measures, not counts for technology companies or IT roles. The BLS’s retrospective on 2023 JOLTS data describes that shift.
Openings were still substantial at year-end, but below the prior peak. On the last business day of December 2023, U.S. employers had 9.0 million job openings, according to the BLS; the series high was 12.0 million in March 2022. These figures cover the whole economy, not IT vacancies. The BLS’s December 2023 JOLTS release, published January 30, 2024, said: “The number of job openings changed little at 9.0 million on the last business day of December.”
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Did IT occupations share one outlook?
No. BLS employment projections published in 2024 estimate change from a 2023 baseline through 2033. They are long-range U.S. projections, not counts of 2023 job postings or current vacancies. The figures also refer to defined BLS occupations, which do not capture every job an employer might label “IT.”
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| Occupation or group | Projected employment change, 2023–33 | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 12.9% growth | Projected growth for the occupational group as a whole. |
| Information security analysts | 32.7% growth | One of the strongest growth rates among the listed IT occupations. |
| Software developers | 17.9% growth | Projected growth, not a guarantee of hiring for a particular candidate. |
| Network and computer systems administrators | 2.6% decline | Projected employment decline despite ongoing demand for technology services. |
| Computer programmers | 9.6% decline | Projected employment decline for this defined occupation. |
The computer and mathematical group was projected to be the second-fastest-growing of 22 occupational groups. The detailed estimates and discussion appear in the BLS November 2024 Monthly Labor Review article on occupational projections to 2033.
Why do projections differ across IT roles?
The BLS points to demand for IT products and services, including software applications, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and data centers, as support for employment in parts of the field. AI-related work can also contribute to demand. At the same time, automation can reduce the need for some routine tasks, putting pressure on certain occupations. The balance varies by role; the broad “tech” label obscures those differences.
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A projected decline for an occupation does not mean there will be no jobs in it. Likewise, a high projected growth rate does not establish that openings are available in a particular city, employer, or specialty today. Projections describe expected employment change over a decade under stated assumptions, not a short-term job-search forecast.
Should you take an IT job or change jobs?
The national figures cannot make that decision for you. They do not account for your location, experience, finances, employer, current role, or tolerance for risk. Treat them as context, then assess the actual job and your own circumstances.
- Compare the work, not just the title. Identify the occupation and day-to-day tasks. A role centered on security, software, cloud infrastructure, or data-center operations may sit in a different demand picture from one focused on routine work that can be automated.
- Check the relevant geography and time horizon. These BLS projections cover U.S. employment from 2023 to 2033. They do not establish prospects in another country, a specific city, or an immediate hiring cycle.
- Evaluate the offer on its own terms. Consider responsibilities, compensation, stability, working conditions, and how the move fits your needs. National projections do not tell you whether an individual employer or offer is sound.
- Make the decision with your constraints in view. A promising occupational outlook does not erase personal trade-offs, and a declining projection alone does not determine whether a move is right for you.
What the 2023 figures can—and cannot—tell you
The 2023 JOLTS data show a broad labor market that had cooled from its earlier peak; they do not show that all IT hiring stopped or establish how many technology workers were laid off. The later BLS projections show that expected employment change varies substantially among computer occupations. Together, these sources support a role-specific view of the market, not a blanket verdict about whether to enter or leave IT.
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