Central Ohio Once Again Recognized as one of Nation’s Top Cybercities for High Tech Employment

The TechAmerica Foundation has released its latest report on trends in the U.S. high tech industry, Cybercities 2010: The Definitive Analysis of the High-Tech Industry in the Nation’s Top 60 Cities.  The report indicates that Central Ohio’s tech sector has held steady even in the midst of recession. 

In 2009, Central Ohio’s high tech industry employed 43,600 workers, and although this represents a net loss of 25 jobs as compared to 2008, the region is still, as in 2008,  ranked 29th out of the top 60 metros in terms of high tech employment.  Of those cities outperforming Central Ohio, seven of them added jobs; Seattle (ranked 8th) lost 8 jobs, followed by Central Ohio with a net loss of 25. 

“What this shows is that Columbus is holding its own despite some very challenging economic times,” says Josh James, vice president of research and industry analysis for TechAmerica. 

James says what is of particular interest are the shifts within sectors in Central Ohio’s high tech employment.  For instance, despite a small dip in employment overall, Central Ohio actually added 800 jobs in computer systems design and related services sector in 2009. 

“This is a trend we see in most markets that are doing well in terms of high tech employment,” says James.  “Any metro that is adding jobs in this area, which includes customized software writing and other key services, is doing relatively well.” 

Growth in the engineering and technology sector (which includes R&D and testing labs an area where Central Ohio also fared well) is also an indicator of a metro that is building sustainable growth according to James. 

In terms of the concentration of high tech workers in the region, the report shows 60 out of every 1,000 workers in the region are now employed in the high tech industry.  In this regard, Central Ohio ranked 31st out of the nation’s largest 60 cities for high tech employment concentration – up from 35th in the 2008 rankings. 

What’s more, these jobs are high paying; the average tech industry worker in Central Ohio earned $75,000 -- or 78 percent more than the metropolitan area’s average private sector wage.
“With over 43,000 tech workers, Columbus is at the center of Ohio’s technology industry, with more workers than Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton,” said Ed Longanecker, executive director, regional vice president, TechAmerica.

Central Ohio’s largest high tech sector was computer systems design and related services, which employed 19,900 workers in 2009.  Following this was telecommunications services, with 7,000 workers, and R&D and testing labs, with 6,300 workers in 2009.

A snapshot of the report findings shows Central Ohio: 

• Employed 43,600 high-tech workers in 2009 (29th ranked)
• 25 net jobs lost between 2008 and 2009 (9th ranked)
• High-tech firms employed 60 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2009 (31st ranked)
• 2,200 high-tech establishments in 2009 (32nd ranked)

Columbus’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 17th in computer systems design and related services with 19,900 jobs
• 22nd in R&D and testing labs with 6,300 jobs
• 28th in telecommunications services employment with 7,000 jobs

Cybercities 2010 shows that the top ten cybercities by high-tech employment in 2009 were New York, Washington, DC, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Boston, Dallas – Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Houston.

For complete detail visit:  www.techamericafoundation.org/cybercities