Quantum Bytes: Labor Demand – Internships in 2023

One of the big stories in 2023 related to labor demand in the quantum technologies industry is that offering internships is on the rise—big time. In 2022, the number of new internship listings globally was 199, whereas by mid-December 2023 the number of new internships was 739, a 271% increase year-over-year. The YoY growth for 2022 over 2021 was a strong 50%, but last year clearly stands out from the norm for any industry.

As of writing, there were 89 internships listed on the QED-C jobs page [internships offered by organizational members of QED-C], whereas last year at this same date, there were “just” 31. So, for QED-C member organizations, the year-over-year increase in internship listings computes to 187% growth. While this is significantly below the 271% growth rate globally, the trend and magnitude are similar, and the story is the same—2023 was a big year for quantum internships.

The nearly 3X growth in internship positions in 2023 could be a sign that firms anticipate more hiring in the next couple of years and are bringing in more interns to build their HR pipeline. Or the sector comprises a growing fraction of companies that are beyond the start up phase and are more likely to offer formal internships.

As some further context, the jobs growth globally for all new quantum technology jobs for 2023 is a less lofty 38%, year-over-year.

For an up-to-date list of public job openings posted by QED-C member organizations, visit the QED-C jobs page.