SAN FRANCISCO: High-technology industries in the United States lost 540,000 jobs last year, and will likely lose jobs this year, but at a markedly lower rate, the American Electronics Association said.

The group, which promotes tax, trade and other policies beneficial to technology companies, said 49 of 52 states lost high-tech jobs last year. Total U.S. technology employment fell to 6 million from 6.5 million in 2001, the report said.

Based on data for the first three-quarters of the year, the group predicted a loss of 234,000 technology jobs in 2003, a 57 percent decline from the number of jobs lost in 2002. The report comes as the U.S. job market overall has recently started to show signs of strength after months of weakness.

Unemployment rates for engineers rose to 4.2 percent in 2002 from 2.4 percent in 2001, while unemployment for computer programmers increased to 6.2 percent from 4.5 percent in 2001, according to the report.

The largest declines in technology employment were in electronic components and communications equipment manufacturing. In the communications area at least, there were further signs of retrenching, with Verizon Communications on Tuesday, saying nearly 10 percent of its 21,600-person work force had accepted voluntary buyout packages.

On Wednesday The Wall Street Journal said AT&T Wireless Services Inc. plans to lay off more than 10 percent of its 30,000 workers over the next year and outsource the work. Among the job-loss trends commonly cited is a move to outsource technology jobs to other countries.

Reuters

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