Thousands of personsNot seasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This series tracks total employment across the information sector, covering software, data processing, telecommunications, broadcasting, and related industries. It serves as the broadest available baseline for the more specific NAICS-level employment charts on this page. Use it to distinguish whether trends in narrower subsectors reflect sector-wide conditions or dynamics unique to a particular industry.
Employment in Software Publishers
Thousands of personsNot seasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This series, Employment for Information: Software Publishers (NAICS 511210), tracks employment levels at companies that publish software, including operating systems, business applications, and consumer software. Sustained drops may signal structural changes in how software is built or distributed.
Employment in Computer Systems Design and Related Services
Thousands of jobsNot seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
This series covers workers who design, develop, and maintain computer systems and networks for other businesses. It is a broad proxy for demand for technology services across the economy. Rising employment here typically reflects growing business investment in digital infrastructure.
Employment in Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
Thousands of jobsNot seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
This sector includes cloud computing providers, data centers, and web hosting companies. Employment here has grown steadily as businesses move workloads off-premise. It is one of the most direct employment proxies for the infrastructure underlying AI services.
Index 2017=100Not seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
This series measures total hourly compensation, including wages and benefits, for software publishing workers. Compensation in this sector runs well above the national average. Large swings can reflect both labor market tightening and shifts in how companies structure pay, such as stock-based compensation.
Average Hourly Earnings of Information Employees
Dollars per HourSeasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This tracks average hourly wages across the entire information sector, from software firms to broadcasters to telecommunications companies. It provides a broader wage benchmark than sector-specific series. Compare it against economy-wide earnings to gauge how the information sector's wage premium changes over time.
Index 2017=100Not seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
Labor productivity measures output per hour worked. For software publishers, gains here can reflect better tools, automation, or shifts in the mix of products being sold. A sustained productivity increase in this sector is one signal researchers look for when assessing AI's economic impact on knowledge work.
Labor Producitivty for Computer and Electronic Products
Index 2017=100Not seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
This series covers labor productivity across manufacturers of computers, semiconductors, and related hardware. The sector has historically shown faster productivity growth than the broader economy. Tracking this alongside software productivity helps distinguish where efficiency gains are concentrated.
Total Factor Productivity in Private Business
Index 2017=100Not seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
Total factor productivity (TFP) measures output growth not explained by increases in labor or capital inputs. It is the standard economic measure of technological progress and efficiency. Broad AI adoption should, in theory, show up here over time.
Private Fixed Investment in Information Processing Equipment and Software
Billions of DollarsSeasonally adjustedAnnual Rate
Source:
FRED
This series tracks business spending on computers, software, and related equipment. It is a leading indicator of corporate commitment to technology adoption. Acceleration in this series often precedes productivity gains by several years.
Private Fixed Investment in Intellectual Property Products: Software
Billions of DollarsSeasonally adjustedAnnual Rate
Source:
FRED
This measures business investment specifically in software as a capital asset. It includes both purchased and internally developed software. Growth in this series reflects rising corporate reliance on software as a core input to production.
Private Fixed Investment in Computers and Peripheral Equipment
Billions of DollarsSeasonally adjustedAnnual Rate
Source:
FRED
This tracks spending on physical computing hardware by businesses. Hardware investment often leads software investment cycles. It also captures the capital expenditure side of the AI buildout, including servers and data center equipment.
Real Private Fixed Investment in Communication Equipment
Billions of Chained 2017 DollarsNot seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
This series covers business investment in communication infrastructure, including networking equipment. It tends to move with broader technology investment cycles. Growth here supports the physical networks that AI applications depend on.
Output per Worker for Information: Software Publishers (NAICS 5112) in the United States
Index 2017=100Not seasonally adjustedAnnual
Source:
FRED
Output per worker measures how much each employee produces, expressed in constant dollars. It differs from labor productivity in that it does not adjust for hours worked. This series provides a straightforward view of whether each worker in the sector is producing more over time.
Information as a Percentage of GDP
Thousands of personsNot seasonally adjustedQuarterly
Source:
FRED
This shows the information sector's contribution to total economic output, expressed as a share of GDP. A rising share indicates the sector is growing faster than the rest of the economy. It is a useful summary measure of the sector's overall economic weight.
Level in ThousandsSeasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This JOLTS-based series tracks unfilled job openings across professional and business services, a broad category that includes most technology occupations. It is a real-time indicator of labor demand. Sustained high openings relative to hires can signal a skills gap or tight labor supply.
Job Postings on Indeed in Software Development
Index 5/1/2020=100Seasonally adjustedDaily, 7-Day
Source:
FRED
This series tracks Indeed's online job postings for software development roles. Job postings data responds faster to labor market shifts than payroll employment figures. Watch for divergence between postings and actual hiring, which can indicate changing employer expectations or candidate availability.
Job Postings on Indeed in IT Operations & Support
Index 5/1/2020=100Seasonally adjustedDaily, 7-Day
Source:
FRED
This covers postings for roles that maintain and operate technology infrastructure. Unlike software development, this category tends to be more stable and less cyclical. Changes here can reflect automation of routine IT tasks or shifts in how companies manage infrastructure.
Job Posting Trends on Indeed
Index 5/1/2020=100Seasonally adjustedDaily, 7-Day
Source:
FRED
This chart places technology job postings alongside all-sector postings and other industries. The comparison reveals whether tech hiring is following economy-wide patterns or diverging. Divergence in either direction often precedes broader employment shifts in the sector.
Thousands of personsSeasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This tracks employment in professional and business services and the information sector across the San Jose and San Francisco metro areas. These two metros together represent the densest concentration of AI-related employment in the country. Regional trends here often lead national patterns
Seattle Employment
Thousands of personsSeasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This tracks employment in professional and business services and the information sector across the San Jose and San Francisco metro areas. These two metros together represent the densest concentration of AI-related employment in the country. Regional trends here often lead national patterns
Austin Employment
Thousands of personsNot seasonally adjustedMonthly
Source:
FRED
This tracks information and professional services employment in the Austin metro area, which has grown as a destination for technology firms relocating or expanding outside California. Austin's tech employment base is more diversified across firm sizes than Seattle or Silicon Valley. It offers a useful view of tech employment growth outside the established coastal hubs.