RALEIGH, N.C. — Brooks Raiford is celebrating his 15th year with the NC Tech Association, which he says has been full of growth and highlights for the industry.

What You Need To Know

  • Red Hat laid off 4% of their workforce last week

  • Tech workers who are laid off, tend to find employment on par with where they were in less than three months

  • Two-thirds of tech leaders say they are currently hiring in North Carolina

“The RTP region in particular, Charlotte in particular, are just well known for being really strong tech centers, still with strong hiring," Raiford said. "Not just in tech companies, but all organizations have tech talent and demand for tech talent.”

While tech developers have flocked to the Tar Heel state over the last few years, layoffs, including a 4% workforce cuts at Raleigh’s Red Hat have caused concern for some.

Although these first-quarter layoffs are difficult, Raiford says the Triangle has all the key ingredients to sustain highs and even lows. 

“We have the three research universities here, and lots of other colleges, private and public. Community college is very strong here," Raiford said. "The school systems are great here. The state government is based here. So you have all these ingredients that feed a stable economy.” 

The tech and software developers in the state agree with Raiford’s sentiment, as shown in the tech associations quarterly leadership polls. 

The polls are made up of hundreds of leaders in the industry answered questions, like is your organization currently hiring. 

“Only 2.2% are saying they are reducing head count, 28% are frozen, but two-thirds are still hiring," Raiford said. 

 

Along with tracking their current trends and strategies, Raiford says these questions ask leaders how they are feeling about the future.

“They are optimistic about our local talent pool. Kind of getting back to normal after the covid impacts. Continued migration of businesses to north carolina," Raiford said. "There’s a lot of inbound growth here. So those are all positive.” 

While layoffs are never easy, Raiford says theres still ample opportunities for job seekers now – in the current market.

“We’ve also seen some studies that show tech workers who are laid off, tend to find employment on par with where they were in less than three months," Raiford said. "Over 40% do it in less than a month.” 

Raiford says industries like cyber security are continuing to grow, with a large number of job openings. He also advises people to look at tech jobs beyond just what the major companies are offering.

The NC Tech Association website has a job board with openings as well.