RALEIGH – High-tech job openings in North Carolina grew in March to well above 20,000 with demand in Durham and Chapel Hill setting the pace.

Employers disclosed 20,614 positions in March, the highest in nearly a year and nearly 600 more than March 2017, reports the NC Technology Association in its Tech Talent Trends report. It’s the first time the number of posted openings topped 20,000 since last May.

Durham-Chapel Hill jobs climbed to more than 2,500 – a jump of 24.2 percent.

Jobs in the Charlotte metro also surged, climbing more than 9 percent to 7,369.

While the Raleigh market offers more open jobs at 6,665, its growth was just 0.2 percent.

Overall, tech job openings have increased three consecutive months.

“Not only were there more IT jobs available in March than in February, there were more than in March of 2017, which is an encouraging sign,” said Brooks Raiford, CEO of NC TECH.

However, in Fayetteville, Greesnboro-High Point, Winston-Salem, Wilmington and Asheville there were fewer jobs.

Total jobs by metro area and month-to-month growth/decline:

Charlotte/Concord/Gastonia: 7,369, +9.4%

Raleigh: 6,665, +0.2%

Durham/Chapel Hill: 2,502, +24.2%

Fayetteville: 857, -26.0%

Greensboro/High Point: 718, -10.1%

Winston-Salem: 409, -22.8%

Wilmington: 210, -4.5%

Asheville: 176, -6.4%

Burlington: 170, +6.3%

Hickory/Lenoir/Morgantown: 124, +6.0%

Read more details from the report online.