As expected, IT employment remained flat in October, according to newly released data from the TechServe Alliance, the national trade association of the IT and engineering staffing and solutions industry.

IT employment in the US rose by 0.04% month over month in October, to nearly 5.4 million jobs. Looking at growth on a year-over-year basis, IT employment has risen by nearly 3.7%.

“It’s clear from the employment numbers that the tech talent shortage is hurting companies in terms of hiring but there are steps that employers can take now to attract and retain talent,” TechServe Alliance CEO Mark Roberts said.

Some companies are introducing top-down DE&I initiatives — not only because their workforce expects it but also because their clients want it.

“In today’s new norm, IT professionals are not willing to compromise on work-life balance and demand the flexibility to work remotely,” Roberts said. “Additionally, they seek employment at companies that champion diversity and social causes.”

In addition, the TechServe Alliance reported that engineering employment rose by 0.4% in October month over month to total employment of more than 2.6 million. The increase was 3.3% on a year-over-year basis.