The economy is in recovery but technology companies have seen their share of layoffs this year. They blame a variety of causes, from specific fears of health care reform to, more broadly, restructuring.

Tech always has been a boom-and-bust industry, but this year has been a particularly difficult one for employment. The tech hardware and equipment segment, led by Hewlett-Packard, has shed 41,200 jobs, the most announced by North American companies this year, according to Bloomberg.

HP plans to cut 9,000 jobs in North America. The company has not released its Fort Collins employment numbers, though the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. has estimated it employs 1,200 to 1,500 people here.

How many of those jobs HP will eliminate here is unclear, but what is clear is that tech downsizings have not spared Northern Colorado-based companies.

Integware Inc. of Fort Collins has reduced its workforce from 120 last year to 27 this year. Its revenues slid from $15.3 million to $8 million.

Chris Kay, president and CEO, blames uncertainty over health care reform. The company makes software for medical-device companies worldwide.

Specifically, Kay faults a 2.3 percent federal