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TechAmerica, the result of the merging of AeA and the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), has released its 12th annual Cyberstates report, which includes a first-ever supplement giving a breakdown of 3Q08 and 4Q08 in tech employment.  The high-tech industry added 77,000 nets jobs for 2008, bringing a total of 382,900 jobs over the last four years and 5.9 million workers worldwide. 

The Cyberstates report revealed just a 0.6% drop in employment, or 38,000 jobs, in 4Q08 where total private-sector employment was lowered by 1.3%.  The technology industry’s largest sectors – software services with 86,200 net jobs and engineering and tech services with 26,600 net jobs – experienced a fifth straight year of employment increases in 2008, while the other two sectors experienced employment losses in 2007 - High-tech manufacturing lost 23,100 jobs and communications services lost 12,700 jobs. 

TechAmerica lists the federal stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as evidence that the tech industry will be powering economic growth and job creation. 

Cyberstates 2009 includes state-by-state data that reveals 39 states observing job growth, with the largest gains occurring in Texas (+14,700), Georgia (+13,100) and Washington (+11,300).  Virginia had the highest concentration of tech workers for the fourth consecutive year, with 92 of every 1,000 sector workers employed in the tech industry.  This data is compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.