Labor Dept Report October 22, 2004

The Labor Department reported that the number of payroll jobs in computer systems design and related services increased by 6,900, from August to September, to 1.14 million. Another technology-related services category added jobs in September as well: Management and technical consulting services employment rose by 1,600 to 796,500, the Labor Department said.

The job growth comes as technology services companies have been thriving and hiring. Help-wanted ads in that corner of the tech industry are welcome developments to tech workers, who weathered massive job cuts earlier this decade and face the threat of offshoring--the transfer of high-skilled jobs to lower-wage nations such as India. A monthly survey showed increasing optimism among IT workers for several months.