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This article by Kathleen McGinn Spring was prepared for the November 13, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
High Tech Jobs
Predicting high tech trends is one thing, but actual
statistics tell the real story. An organization that could be considered
a competitor to the New Jersey Technology Council — AeA, Advancing
the Business of Technology — provides these studies.
AeA (formerly known as the American Electronics Association) partners
with the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey to sponsor the High Tech
Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday, November 14, at 6 p.m. at the PNC
Bank Art Center in Holmdel. Cost: $150. Call 609-890-3185.
AeA’s latest report is entitled “Cyberstates 2002: A State-by-State
Overview of the High-Technology Industry.” It shows that last
year New Jersey had 197,000 high tech jobs, an increase of 3,900.
Last year technology industries accounted for 22 percent of New Jersey’s
exports, and electronic exports increased seven percent, in contrast
to the national decline of 15 percent. On the downside, the state’s
venture capital investment dropped 60 percent, from $3.5 billion to
$1.4 billion.
Founded in 1943, AeA is nation’s largest high-tech trade association;
it has 3,500 member companies, 18 regional U.S. councils, and offices
in Brussels and Beijing. Dues begin at about $1,000 per year, says
Linda Klose, executive director of the New Jersey and eastern
Pennsylvania chapter, based in Warren. The chair of this chapter’s
executive committee is John Sudol of Sensors Unlimited. Among
its Princeton area members are ITXC Corporation, JDS Uniphase Corporation
Epitaxx Division, McGrath & Associates, and Universal Display Corporation.
The Cyberstates 2002 study has chapters on national and state trends
in employment, wages, and exports, venture capital investments, research
and development expenditures, and computer and Internet home use.
Cost: $190. Call AeA at 800-284-4232 or 908-561-3513 (www.AeAnet.org).
The state ranks eighth in the nation for the number of high tech jobs,
and ranks 12th in percentage of private sector workers that are in
these jobs — 59 of every 1,000 workers. Their average wage is
$75,500 (which puts the state in fifth place nationally). This is
73 percent more than the average private sector wage.
As for individual industries, defense electronics manufacturing has
8,900 jobs and ranks fourth in the nation. Computer services employment,
including rental and maintenance, employs 26,800 and a rank of sixth.
The state ranks seventh in data processing and information services
employment with 23,600 jobs.
“We are active nationally and internationally,” says Klose.
“The smartest tech companies belong to both AeA and the New Jersey
Technology Council.”
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