I submit this as an entirely unscientific, poorly researched, and potentially misleading set of information. But here it is nonetheless. The Indeed.com web site offers a dynamic job growth trend chart based on search terms you enter.

I searched for job postings with “tech support” OR “technical support”. Note the absolute nosedive since January of 2009 through today, or at least as recently as July as the chart indicates. In and of itself it’s not surprising given the economic climate, however when compared to “customer service” search results beneath it stands in stark contrast.

Why would one set crater while the other soars? I’m not sure. Potentially the experience and/or knowledge of tech support staff demand higher salaries than those of more vanilla customer service employees and the result is a freeze on new/open job requisitions for that role. Another possibility is the emerging & growing trend of community forums to drive support organizations. Lastly, the healthcare debate has been rampant, reminding everyone that Pop Tarts, Twinkies, and Cheetos are rife with peril and drive insurance costs up. Given the copious amounts of junk food tech support folks eat, it comes as no surprise they are feeling the pinch in the job market AND their waste lines. Will be interesting to see how these trends change over the coming months.

(ahem, no, I’m not serious about the Twinkies part)