It was great to see the July jobs report reconfirm that tech hiring is still on the upswing. But within the facts and figures, there were some particularly interesting numbers. One factoid showed jobs in the communications equipment sector rose 1.3 percent compared to July 2011, bringing the number of tech positions to 110,200. And while the increase may not be eye-popping, it’s definitely worth noting. In the communications equipment sector, a modest increase in jobs reversed a three-month string of declines. That’s excellent news for folks in an industry that keeps struggling. As one economist, Bodhi Ganguli of Moody’s Analytics, previously told Dice News:

This segment has been falling steadily since the beginning of the decade … part of it is outsourcing. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that there is less demand for equipment like handsets. For example, many households no longer have landlines (for phones).

So, for folks working here, I’m sure a 1.3 percent increase in jobs may seem like a win.

Women IT Unemployment Gap Improves

The second set of figures that seems heartening involves the unemployment rate for women in computer and mathematical occupations. During July, that rate fell to 3.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Men fared slightly better, with a 3 percent rate. But the more interesting story here is the unemployment rate gap between the sexes. It’s narrowed in a big way. Last May, women in this field saw a 6.8 percent unemployment rate, while the rate for men stood at a mere 2.3 percent. Although the reasons behind this change aren't immediately clear, we can only hope that the gap continues to narrow.