Tech marches forward with small job gains in '08

While the news has been grim about the economy, there were a few bright spots in the world of technology in 2008. Tech employers added a net 77,000 jobs in 2008, the fifth straight year of gains, according to TechAmerica, a consortium representing 1,500 companies in electronics, software, and telecommunications.

While the job growth was down from 2007, when 79,000 tech jobs were added, it saw a dramatic drop from 2006, when there were 139,000 new tech jobs, reports BusinessWeek. There were pockets of success across the country, including Texas where 14,000 new tech jobs were added and Utah, which saw the number of tech jobs grow by 14,000.

The biggest job losses came in Washington, D.C., and Idaho. But BusinessWeek says three rural states--Nebraska, Wyoming, and New Mexico--had the fastest-rising wages for tech jobs.

For more on the '08 tech economy:
- check out this BusinessWeek.com article

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