Crap! Unemployment in Telecom was Up in April

by Elias Shams

This is the last thing we needed to hear in this tough economy. Believe me! I am taking no pleasure to write about this one

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate went up to 8.7% in the telecom sector last month, following the national unemployment rate, which was 9.9%.

The telecommunications sector lost 6,700 jobs from March to April. A total of 934,500 jobs are categorized in that sector.

Employment in the wireless sector remained relatively flat, down 200 positions from February to March, with 195,400 positions assigned to the wireless sector. Its wireline sibling didn’t fare as well, losing 3,900 positions in March; 607,900 jobs are in the wireline carrier segment.

. California, which employs most people in the telecommunications carriers segment, lost 1,200 positions to total 107,900 positions in March.

. Texas lost 400 jobs to total 89,900 telecommunications sector positions.

. Georgia’s telecom sector lost 200 positions to 50,600.

. New York’s telecom sector also lost 200 positions, which now counts 49,800 positions.

. Kansas lost 100 positions to total 19,800.

. New Jersey bucked the trend by adding 200 positions to total 37,400.

All data is preliminary and likely will be adjusted during the month. Sixteen mass layoffs took place in March, the most recent month for which data is available.

The good News is that overall the computer and electronic products segment added 100 jobs from March to April to reach 1.0298 million jobs.   Drilling down into that sector, the semiconductor and components sector added 1,600 jobs in April, while the communications equipment sector lost 100 positions. Computer and peripheral equipment added another 300 jobs, which was offset by 1,300 jobs lost in the electronic instruments category.