IT Jobs: Arizona Tech Sector Ranks 7th for Exports

Those with IT jobs in Arizona recently received some good news.

Cyberstates, a new report from the TechAmerica Foundation, ranked Arizona seventh for overall technology exports among all states. The technology sectors accounted for in the report represent about 42,000 workers throughout the state and about 41 percent of the state's total export base of $19.8 billion.

The state also was ranked fourth for semiconductor exports, despite a decrease of $644 million in parts, which were switched to other markets. Arizona saw its technology exports decrease by 7 percent from 2007 to 2008, despite the fact it shipped out about $8.1 billion in electronics.

"High-tech exports are vital to Arizona’s economy, particularly in semiconductors," David Thomas, regional director of TechAmerica, told the Phoenix Business Journal. "(These figures) suggest we are holding our own in the tech sector. Further, the TechAmerica Cyberstates report does not even include all aspects of the technology sector."

The study included manufacturing in computers and peripheral equipment, communications equipment, consumer electronics, electronic components, semiconductors, industrial electronics, electromedical equipment and photonics. The study did not include defense and aerospace segments, which represent large numbers of employers and exports.

Semiconductors accounted for most of the tech exports, at about $4 billion, followed by industrial electronics at $1.4 billion and computers and peripheral equipment at $700 million.

During 2008, Arizona's largest technology trading partner was Mexico, which received about $1.5 billion in technology goods, followed by China with $943 million in goods, Singapore with $789 million in goods, Canada with $662 million in goods and Taiwan with $568 million in goods.