Florida Claims Four Top Cybercities in 2009

    Washington, DC (December 8, 2010) – TechAmerica Foundation today released its latest report on trends in the U.S. high-tech industry, Cybercities 2010: The Definitive Analysis of the High-Tech Industry in the Nation’s Top 60 Cities. This detailed report tracks trends in high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential at the metropolitan level.
      “Florida’s technology economy often falls under the radar, because it is diverse and diffused across the state,” said Peter J. Boni, President and CEO of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE) and Vice Chairman of the Board for TechAmerica. “However, there are tech manufacturing, telecommunications and the space coast – all of which continue to offer Floridians high-paying jobs. TechAmerica Foundation’s Cybercities report shows that Palm Bay-Melbourne was one of only a handful of U.S. cities to add high-tech jobs in the midst of recession and has one of the highest concentrations of tech industry workers. In addition, the Miami, Tampa, and Orlando areas all remain tech hubs for the Sunshine state.”
    What Does High Tech Mean for Orlando (including Osceola)?

• 44,300 high-tech workers in 2009 (28th ranked)
• 1,900 jobs lost between 2008 and 2009 (38th ranked)
• High-tech firms employed 52 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2009 (39th ranked)
• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $66,500 (53rd ranked), or 77 percent more than Orlando’s average private sector wage
• A high-tech payroll of $2.9 billion in 2009 (32nd ranked)
• 2,600 high-tech establishments in 2009 (27th ranked)

    Orlando’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 21st in Internet services employment with 4,300 jobs
• 21st in software publishers employment with 2,600 jobs
• 22nd in telecommunication services with 10,000 jobs