iCoast News

The nation's tech industry posted the strongest job growth of any six-month period since 2001 during the first half of this year, according to a trade association.

The American Electronics Association said the tech industry added more than 140,000 jobs between January and June, nearly double the amount of jobs added in the same period last year.

The high-tech services sector added 107,000 jobs while tech manufacturers added about 33,000 jobs, the group said.

"The good news is that the U.S. high-tech industry is adding jobs for the second year in a row, and adding jobs across all tech sectors," AeA chief executive William Archey said in a statement.

But job growth in the nation's tech sector still trails that of the private sector, largely because tech firms can't find enough skilled workers to fill positions, the group said.

The AeA is the nation's largest tech trade association and represents about 2,500 companies.