The latest partner survey conducted by the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti), corresponding to 2016 figures, reflects a growth in exports compared to the previous year, while sales in the domestic market remained relatively stable.
This increase allowed the total turnover of the information technology (ICT) sector to reach US$ 1,158 million, 2.9% higher than in the same period of 2015 and equivalent to 2.2% of GDP.
"The growth of the foreign market allowed for an improvement in turnover in 2016. However, the local market was reduced for the national software industry, where the variation is mainly seen in the private sector," said Leonardo Loureiro, President of Cuti.
The United States continues to be the main destination for ICT software and services exports (58.1%), followed by Argentina (5.7%), Spain (5.4%), Colombia (4.5%) and Ireland (4.5%). Markets such as Ireland, Switzerland and Japan are beginning to emerge as export destinations, reflecting the sector's potential and capacity to meet customer demand beyond the Americas.
In terms of employment, the sector generated around 12,200 jobs in 2016, according to a survey of the union's members, 67% of whom are men and 33% women.
"This gender ratio is observed as a result of the training of professionals and technicians, where fewer women continue to pursue IT-related careers," Loureiro added.
In terms of age analysis, more than 50% of jobs in the IT sector are held by people under 35 years of age and only 9% are over 50 years of age.
To complement the employment estimate of this survey, the union analyses in its report the results of the 2016 Continuous Household Survey (ECH), surveyed by the National Statistics Institute (INE). This shows that the employment generated by IT-related activities amounted to around 13,800 jobs and, according to figures provided by the BPS, the number of contributors as of December 2016 stood at 14,129.
"In a complex and uncertain economic context, with regional economies in a scenario of economic contraction, the IT sector, which is part of Cuti, managed to continue growing. This growth was mainly reflected in the higher levels of sales and employment reflected which reaffirms that the IT sector still has great capacity for growth and employment generation," concluded the President of Cuti.
From Friday 17 November, Cuti's partner companies that contributed data for the construction of the ICT Sector Annual Survey indicators will receive the full report as well as a personalised report that compares the main indicators of their company with those of the average of their business segment.
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