In January, IT employment ticked down 0.01% to 5,351,300 jobs, according to TechServe Alliance, the national trade association of the IT & Engineering Staffing and Solutions industry. On a year-over-year basis, IT employment grew by only 0.08% since January 2019 adding a mere 4,500 IT workers.

Engineering employment increased by 0.04 percent sequentially to 2,670,400. On a year-over-year basis, growth in engineering employment increased by 1.46% since January 2019 or 38,500 engineering workers. 

"IT employment growth is anemic," observed Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe Alliance. "Even without factoring in global and domestic political uncertainty and the potential economic impact of the coronavirus, the ongoing talent shortage and restrictive immigration policies do not foster an environment conducive to meaningful IT job creation. Unfortunately, we do not see downward pressure on IT job growth abating in the foreseeable future," added Roberts.