The Bay Area of California has the highest concentration of people in IT jobs of any metro area in the US, new research suggests.

A report by the TechAmerica Foundation on the nation's technology sector revealed the location had 394,300 individuals working in related roles in 2009.

The highest concentration of staff in IT in the region was found in San Jose and Silicon Valley, with 225,600 people employed in the field last year.

As a result of the figures, local assemblywoman Fiona Ma declared: "Our stature and importance to the technology industry depends on keeping the Bay Area and California an attractive place to do business."

Almost one in three people in the private sector in San Jose is employed by a technology firm, while the highest numbers of workers employed in the sector in US cities were found in New York and Washington.

Meanwhile, recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed the US witnessed an increase in job openings during October 2010, with the number rising to 3.4 million non-farm sector posts from three million the previous month.

Posted by Kate Griffin