Dive Brief:

• Unfilled software development jobs are resulting in big costs for companies in the U.S. and can have a direct impact on revenue, according to a new analysis of the software jobs market from Trilogy Education and based on data from Burning Glass, a search engine of open job postings in the space. On average, a company can lose $14,000 for each software development job that’s vacant for more than three months. For one in six companies, that works out to $25,000.

• The direct impact on revenue is part of an overall taxed software development job market. Between Jan. 2016 and Jan. 2017, there were more than 1.3 million software jobs open, according to Trilogy.

• Not only are there large numbers of software development jobs open, employers are struggling to fill the positions. In 2015, 38% of companies reported difficulty filling software development jobs. The number of companies reporting difficulty filling software roles has increased each year since 2009. 

Dive Insight:

There’s been a lot of anecdotal evidence that companies lose money the longer they go without tech talent, but it's becoming more clear that the lack of tech talent is indeed costing businesses plenty. For its data, Trilogy examined open positions on the Burning Glass site today and historically and ran a comparison to get its results.

When it comes to precise skills needed for job success, Trilogy found it depends on where developers live, because "different technologies take hold in different regions," according to Dan Sommer, CEO and founder of Trilogy Education.

One thing is for sure: Java developers are in high demand in all regions. Triology found the term "Java" appeared in almost 50% of software development job descriptions. A report released earlier this month by Indeed.com also found Java is still the most in-demand programming language, far ahead of other programming languages found in the enterprise.