Employment in the computer and electronic products sector remained flat month to month, up just 700 jobs to employ 1.1 million positions in the space, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Surprisingly, the only sector that showed growth was in the electronic instruments subsector, which was up 1,400 positions.
Jobs in the semiconductor components subsector were down 500 positions from October to November. Previously, that segment had been trending up for the last several months. However, the unemployment rate for the sector jumped 3 percentage points from October to November, and stands at 10.1%.
In the telecommunications sector, jobs were up by 1,100 positions to 920,600 jobs, according to the bureau. Looking closer into the wireless component, about 320 jobs were added from September to October. Data for the subsectors lags a month behind overall statistics. In the wired telecom space, about 180 jobs were added month to month, for a total of 594,200 positions. The unemployment rate for telecommunications dropped from 10% in October to 8.4% in November. However, BLS staff previously noted that that drop could be for a variety of reasons, including more people discouraged about finding work so they are not actively searching for jobs.
Clearwire Corp. announced plans to cut 600 employees earlier this month as part of a plan to conserve cash.
Both the computer and telecom segments mirrored the overall employment picture. The unemployment rate inched up to 9.8% in November and nonfarm payroll employment changed little. Healthcare and temporary help continued to add jobs, while employment fell in retail trade
Telecom unemployment at 8.4%, monthly labor statistics says
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