Businesses from Baltimore to D.C. region will need 135K more workers in next 5 years — many in digital roles

Employers participating in a business alliance that stretches from Baltimore to Richmond, Va., will need to hire more than 135,000 workers — including thousands of “digital tech” workers — over the next five years to fill open jobs, the group said in a report released Wednesday.

About 20,000 of those open jobs will be for positions in 20 occupations with high levels of digital activity, such as software developers and programmers, computer support, database and systems, technology and engineering, and information systems, according to the Greater Washington Partnership, a civic alliance of CEOs of companies that employ more than 175,000 workers in the region.

The partnership, which is working to develop, attract and retain digital technology workers, said it believes the region can emerge as a global leader in the cybersecurity field, which could boost the region’s growth rate by as much as 20 percent. Employers have identified gaps in necessary skills. The business group said some 35,000 digital tech jobs are currently unfilled in the region.

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