December 2024 Jobs Report
Methodology
To present the insights in this report, Dice used job posting data provided by Dice’s partner, Lightcast, which has a database of more than 1 billion current and historical job postings worldwide. Dice pulled data on December 6, 2024 and analyzed over 7 million tech job postings in the U.S. to gather our specific dataset, which we then filtered for “Information Technology” jobs that fall under “Full Time,” “Part Time” and “Flexible Hours.” We gathered the list of top employers in the “Industry Analysis” section by using the above criteria, with an additional filter for job postings that only derive from employer sites. The information in this report is a snapshot of tech job posting data as of December 6, 2024, and backward revisions to prior month’s data may occur from the sources used in this report.
How are Tech Jobs Faring in the Hiring Market?
Tech hiring showed mixed signals in November, with seasonal patterns playing a significant role. While tech job postings declined 22.2% month-over-month—marking the steepest monthly decrease of 2024—this drop aligns with historical end-of-year hiring patterns. Similar declines were observed between October and November in both 2022 and 2023, suggesting this year's drop is a typical seasonal adjustment rather than a meaningful shift in hiring patterns. Despite this monthly dip, the sector's longer-term trajectory remains positive, with year-over-year growth at 11.1% as companies continue planning their 2025 strategies.
The tech unemployment rate edged down to 2.5% from October's 2.6%, remaining well below the national unemployment rate of 4.2%. Despite the monthly decline in overall postings, certain sectors and roles showed remarkable growth as well.
The demand for AI skills continues to demonstrate the technology's growing importance across industries. In November, 29% of U.S. tech job postings required AI skills, up from 26% in October. While there was a 15% month-over-month decrease in AI skill requirements (consistent with the overall drop in tech jobs), the year-over-year growth remains strong at 100%, reflecting the sustained emphasis on AI within technical roles.
2024 in Review: The State of the Tech Job Market
Brooke Lorenz, Director of Marketing, Dice
Paul Farnsworth, Chief Technical Officer, Dice
Where are Tech Job Postings Concentrated?
Education emerged as a standout industry in November, showing a 106% month-over-month increase in tech job postings. The software and manufacturing sectors also showed significant monthly gains at 61% and 58% respectively. Looking at year-over-year trends, healthcare led with 150% growth, followed by finance/banking at 137% and retail at 134%, indicating sustained tech priorities across these industries.
Among U.S. states, Washington continued to show strong year-over-year momentum with 54% growth in tech job postings. New York saw 32% growth, and California and North Carolina saw 19% and 18% increase, respectively. California still hires the most tech professionals, making up 11% of the overall tech hiring marketing in November 2024.
Within metro areas, the Washington D.C. area has long been seen as an emerging hot spot for tech jobs, and this month was no different. In November, the D.C. metro topped the list of tech hubs, accounting for 7% of all tech job postings. However, San Jose improved its position as a growing tech hub with 44% year-over-year growth, followed by Seattle at 38% and Boston at 31%.
Who Are Companies Hiring Right Now?
Data science expertise saw some stand-out growth in November, with Machine Learning Data Scientists showing a remarkable 221% month-over-month increase in job postings. The growth extended across the data science spectrum, with increased demand for Big Data Engineers, Lead Data Scientists, Data Reporting Analysts, and Data Science and Analytics Managers.
This surge in data science roles reflects organizations' growing focus on extracting value from their data assets and building sophisticated analytical capabilities. The trend suggests companies are increasingly investing in talent that can drive data-informed decision-making and innovation across their operations. And, with the emergence of AI, this trend is likely to continue well into 2025 and beyond.
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