Original post by DAVE COPELAND via ReadWriteWeb
SimplyHired bases its ranking on the number of tech job openings compared to the number of people who are working in the region. The numbers below are based on metropolitan areas as defined by the U.S. census bureau.
1. Baltimore, Maryland (46,150 people employed, 14,093 tech job openings): Hunter Sherman, the chief engineer at Sparks, Maryland-based BizBrag, Inc., said the company is struggling to find qualified people to fill its jobs. As a result, BizBrag is planning to move. “A big part of our issue is that we’re just north of the city, and a majority of the engineers are located to the south, closer to the D.C. area,” Sherman said. “This is one of the major reasons that we plan on moving our business into the city in the coming months.”
2. Detroit, Michigan (15,930 people employed, 3,387 tech job openings): State government efforts to remake the region’s traditional vehicle-manufacturing economy are paying off, according to Todd Albery, CEO of Quizzle, a consumer-credit Website based in Detroit. Several tech companies have formed an umbrella organization called Rock Ventures to address the shortage of tech talent in Detroit. In addition to actively recruiting laid-off Silicon Valley workers from Yahoo and other companies, Rock Ventures helped place 500 summer interns and brought them to the region.
3. Charlotte, North Carolina (24,900 people employed, 5,228 tech job openings): Several small tech companies have joined Red Ventures, Lowes Hardware, Ally, American City Business Journals, and Bank of America in North Carolina. They’re all constantly on the lookout for tech talent. Local governments have formed business incubators and networking groups. Despite efforts to attract outside talent, the area remains a job-seeker’s market.
