Wireless sector employment down slightly

Even though 85,000 jobs were lost in December, wireless carrier job employment has only been down about 1,000 positions from January 2009 through November, according to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The employment figures for wireless carriers, which lag behind a month from other BLS statistics, show 202,600 people employed in the wireless telecom sector in November, down from the 203,600 employed in January 2009.
Overall, the telecom sector, including wireline and wireless components, lost another 3,500 jobs from November to December, recording a total of 965,900 employed in the space. For the year, the unemployment rate in the telecom sector stood at 8.3%. This statistic does not break out wireless and wireline unemployment, but the wireline sector employs more people than the wireless sector, and the nation’s two largest telecom employers, Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Corp., each announced significant layoffs in 2009.
Employee statistics
Telecom equipment installers and repairers made up the largest percentage of workers in the telecom sector, employing more than 134,000 people in 2009, followed by customer service representatives, which account for more than 131,400 positions. Average earnings in the sector were $26.77 per hour, up slightly from $25.93 per hour at the beginning of the year. About 20% of workers in the sector are union members.
In other sectors related to the wireless industry, employment was flat overall. Employers in consumer and electronic products shed another 2,400 jobs from November to December, still employing more than 1.1 million people. Computer and peripheral equipment makers lost another 400 jobs, while the semiconductor sector was down 200 positions. Communications equipment makers actually added 400 jobs month to month, employing 124,400 people in the space.
Overall employment
“In December, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.3 million, and the unemployment rate, at 10%, were unchanged. At the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.7 million, and the unemployment rate was 5%,” BLS noted. Among the unemployed, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for at least 27 weeks) continued to trend up, reaching 6.1 million. In December, four in 10 unemployed workers were jobless for 27 weeks or longer. Job losses continued in construction, manufacturing, and wholesale trade, while temporary help services and health care continued to add jobs. During 2009, monthly job losses moderated substantially. Employment losses in the first quarter of 2009 averaged 691,000 per month, compared with an average loss of 69,000 per month in the fourth quarter.”
Outlook through 2018
The BLS through 2018 is projecting slightly fewer jobs in the wireless sector, a decline of 1.43% for the next 10 years, expecting 199,800 positions in the space. The biggest drop will be computer programmers, expected to decrease 24.5% by 2018. Other positions with expected declines of more than 15% include chief executives, advertising and promotion managers, computer support specialists, sales and related workers in the wholesale and manufacturing area, and positions in labor and material moving occupations. The biggest increase in employment are predicted to be in the network systems and data communications analysts, which could increase nearly 30%, and compliance officers, which could see job growth of nearly 15%.
The wired telecom sector is expected to decline about 11% through 2018, with total employment expected to be just under 600,000. Network systems and data communications analysts are the best positions for growth, projected at more than 18%, while compliance officers and bill and account collectors should see modest growth of 4% and 5.6%, respectively.
The computer and electronic manufacturing industry is projecting to lose more than 240,000 jobs by 2018, a decline of more than 19%. A bright spot in this sector is the predicted 67% increase for biomedical engineering positions.
Employment in the semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing sector is projected to drop 33% through 2018, across all positions.
Interestingly, cable and other subscription programming is expected to increase overall by 20%, although the sector is relatively small, employing just under 85,000 people in 2008.
Geographic employment
In looking at states that have separate wireless employment, California counted 31,800 employees in the wireless carrier sector in November, down slightly from the 32,300 employees the state averaged throughout 2008. Georgia, home of AT&T Mobility, actually saw its wireless carrier sector employment increase, from 11,800 employed in Georgia in 2008 to 12,600 employees in the sector in November 2009. Washington said its employment remained essentially flat, with 12,900 people employed in the sector in 2008 and 100 fewer in November 2009, according to preliminary statistics.
Texas, Florida and New Jersey do not break out wireless and wireline telecom employment numbers. Texas employed about 93,000 people in telecom in November, down a little from the 96,700 employed in 2008. Florida, meanwhile, saw its employment drop to 60,500 people in November, down from 65,000 employed in ’08. New Jersey also saw a slight drop in telecom employment, from 40,700 in 2008 to 38,800 in November.