The number of IT jobs grew 0.2 percent sequentially last month to 4,701,300, according to TechServe Alliance, the national trade association of the IT & Engineering Staffing and Solutions industry. On a year-over-year basis, IT employment has grown by 3.5% since October 2013 adding 159,300 IT workers.

Engineering jobs also grew more modestly in October, up 0.1 percent sequentially to 2,512,000.  On a year-over-year basis, engineering employment has grown by 1.6% since October 2013 adding 39,100 engineering workers.

"After nine consecutive months of a downward trend in the rate of growth in IT employment, I am pleased to see October's uptick.  While too early to tell whether this is a sustainable trend, the data is certainly consistent with near universal feedback from my member companies who report strong demand and a shortage of available talent in many skill sets," stated Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe Alliance. "While the employment picture on the engineering side remains more mixed with a declining rate of growth in October, I am optimistic that both IT and engineering employment will improve as we gain greater clarity around the geopolitical and macroeconomic forces that had been contributing to a general sense of uncertainty," added Roberts.