Telecom, computer jobs inch up in May

The telecommunications sector saw a 3,400 bump in jobs from April to May, but was still down 33,400 positions from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the wireless industry subsector, which lags a month behind in statistics, 400 more jobs were added from March to April for a total of 169,900 positions in the space. In the wired telecommunications subsector, the job bureau estimates 5,100 job losses from March to April for a total of 572,600 positions in wired telecommunications. Both subsectors reported losses from a year ago, although the wireless space has remained fairly flat over the year, down 400 jobs from April 2010 to April 2011.
In the computer and electronic products sector, the number of jobs inched up 400 positions from April to May to stand at 1.12 million, and boasted a year-over-year increase of 25,800 positions, up 2.4%. The semiconductor and electronic components subsector is leading the growth, growing 1,400 positions from April to May and 15,700 positions from May 2010 to May 2011, up 4.3%. In fact, nearly all computer sub-segments posted month-to-month job growth and year-to-year job growth. The electronic instruments subsector, which was up 900 positions from April to May, is still down 2,300 positions year over year.
In California, which employs a significant number of people in telecom, overall job growth was down 4,300 positions year over year to 94,800 positions. In the computer and peripheral equipment segment, jobs were up 6,800 positions in California to 280,400.
In Illinois, telecom jobs totaled 36,800, down 1,900 positions from a year ago. In the computer sector, job growth was flat at 34,400 positions.
In Kansas, home of Sprint Nextel Corp., job growth was flat month to month, but down 1,600 positions from April 2010 to April 2011, to 16,900 positions.
A total of 48,000 people were employed in telecom in New York in April, according to the labor bureau, down 900 positions from a year ago. The computer sector was up 600 positions from a year ago to 62,600 positions.
In Texas, 96,100 positions were counted in the computer sector, up 1,700 positions from a year ago. Telecom jobs in Texas clocked in at 82,000 positions, down 4,500 from a year ago.