The TechServe Alliance’s three-month moving average of tech employment turned positive in February for the first time in almost two years. The measured improved as IT employment in the US inched up by 2,000 jobs in February for total employment of more than 5.3 million.

“After 23 consecutive months of contraction or no growth, IT employment ticked up modestly in February for the second consecutive month,” CEO Mark Roberts said in a press statement. “I am also encouraged that the three-month moving average turned positive for the first time since March 2022.”

Still, tech employment was down by 53,900 jobs on a year-over-year basis.

“While there are signs that the economy remains resilient with increasing consumer and business confidence, we’re still seeing mixed signals across geographies, client industries and companies, making it challenging to construct a cohesive narrative,” Roberts said.

“While there’s been a slowdown in layoffs which peaked early last year, many companies continue to take a cautious approach to hiring,” he continued. “The countervailing force is the recognition by corporate leaders that continuing to invest in technology and the talent that can build and manage it is a business imperative.  This sentiment is continuing to fuel demand in many IT skill sets such as those associated with AI, automation and cybersecurity.”

The TechServe Alliance also reported that engineering employment rose by 2,700 jobs in February compared to January. Year over year, the number of engineering jobs was up by 51,100.

The TechServe Alliance is the national trade association for the IT and engineering staffing and solutions industry.