Semiconductor jobs up 11,000 positions for year

Telecommunications jobs fell in December, both from the previous month and for the year. However, employment in the wireless sector ticked up a few hundred jobs.
Overall, the nation’s unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 9.4% in December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment rose in the healthcare and leisure and entertainment sectors, but remained unchanged everywhere else.
The telecommunications sector reported 911,500 jobs in December 2010, down from 916,000 jobs in November and 956,900 in December 2009. However, in the wireless industry, job employment stood at 195,000 in November (this sector lags a month behind the overall telecom sector) vs. 194,500 in October and 194,700 in November 2009 – a slight increase of 500 jobs and 300 jobs, respectively.
In the computer and electronic equipment space, jobs totaled 1.107 million in December, which was relatively flat from the 1.104 million jobs in November and up slightly from the 1.093 million jobs reported in December 2009. Interestingly, jobs in the semiconductor segment are up month to month and year over year. The labor bureau counted 370,700 positions in December, up from 0.4% from the 368,900 jobs counted in November and up 11,000 positions, or 3% from the 359,700 jobs counted in December 2009.