New York Metro Area’s Tech Employment Totals 316,500,
Highest in Nation
New York Metro Area Adds 6,400 Tech Jobs in 2006, Second Fastest Growing Cybercity

Albany, NY (June 24, 2008) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation's Top 60 Cities. This detailed report tracks trends in high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential at the metropolitan level.

The New York Metro Area has the largest high-tech workforce in the nation with 316,500 jobs in 2006, according to the most current metropolitan data available.  The region added 6,400 tech jobs in 2006, the second fastest growing cybercity.  These jobs also pay well; the average high-tech wage in 2006 was $91,500 or 46 percent higher than the average private sector wage in the metro area.

The New York Metro Area continues to prove a critical location for various tech industry sectors. The metro area led the nation by employment in telecommunications services (66,300 jobs), R&D and testing labs (49,300 jobs), and Internet services (26,300 jobs).

“The factors that have long made New York City a center of finance, culture and entertainment – a uniquely talented and diverse workforce, top academic institutions and a spirit of creativity not found anywhere else – are today making the City a center of technological innovation,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The high-tech industry is a valuable and increasingly important part of the New York City economy, and its continued growth will foster New York’s evolution as a ‘cybercity’ and keep us ahead of the curve.”

"When people think of technology clusters in the United States, the New York Metro Area doesn't often come to mind, but it should," said Justin Wright, Executive Director of AeA’s New York Council.  "We have the nation's largest high-tech workforce with an extremely strong technology services industry.  New York is attractive because of our many world class universities, our highly educated workforce, and our proximity to strong capital markets.”

“Unfortunately,” continued Wright, “we are not able to take full advantage of many of the best and brightest students being educated at our universities.  These individuals are often foreign nationals who are forced to leave the country upon graduation because of misguided visa policies coming out of Washington.  This is tragic because foreign nationals are renown for helping spawn technology start-up companies that create innovation and high-paying jobs in the United States.  Forcing them out only heightens competition from abroad."

Cybercities 2008 shows that the top five cybercities by high-tech employment in 2006 were the New York Metro Area, Washington, DC, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The nation’s highest tech industry concentration was in San Jose/Silicon Valley, where more than one in four private sector workers were employed by the tech industry. Seattle saw the largest tech industry employment growth, adding 7,800 jobs in 2006.

Later this summer, AeA will release Trade in the Cyberstates 2008: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech International Trade. That report will look at the most recent data on high-tech exports from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

AeA members can purchase Cybercities 2008 for $125; non-members for $250.  Visit www.aeanet.org/cybercities to download the report, or call 408.987.4200. 

What Does High Tech Mean for the New York Metro Area?

• 316,500 high-tech workers in 2006 (1^st ranked cybercity)
   

• 6,400 jobs gained between 2005 and 2006 (2^nd ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech firms employed 46 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2006 (45^th ranked cybercity)
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $91,500 (11^th ranked), or 46 percent more than New York’s average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $28.9 billion in 2006, (2^nd ranked cybercity)
   

• 20,200 high-tech establishments in 2006 (1^st ranked cybercity)

The New York Metro Area’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 1^st in telecommunications services employment with 66,300 jobs
   

• 2^nd in computer systems design and related services employment with 89,100 jobs
   

• 1^st in R&D and testing labs employment with 49,300 jobs

Notes:

New York Metro Area = New Jersey Counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union; New York Counties: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester; Pennsylvania: Pike County.

2006 data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

Source: Cybercities 2008

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association, representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit http://www.aeanet.org.   

This page was last updated on 06/23/08.            
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