- The tech industry faces ongoing layoffs amid rapid AI advancements and other economic pressures.
- Some tech roles are increasingly in-demand, while others are experiencing a decline.
- Do you work in tech and have thoughts on how the industry is changing? Take BI’s survey below.
The tech job cuts just keep on coming.
Industry layoffs from Jan to May are up 35% compared to the same period in 2024, according to career transition firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
While the reasons for workforce reductions vary by company, the layoffs have come during a rapid technological shift driven by the emergence of AI.
A 2025 World Economic Forum survey found that 41% of companies globally expect to reduce staff in the next five years because of AI. While no one knows exactly how many jobs will be lost due to “AI exposure”, the tech industry might be especially vulnerable.
As some roles related to AI research and development have grown in demand, others have been on the decline. Job postings for software engineers, once a staple at tech companies, have decreased as tools like Codex and GitHub CoPilot have automated coding tasks, which make up a large part of the job, especially for early-career workers.
Amid a shifting landscape, tech leaders have expressed differing opinions about how AI will transform the job market. Some say that AI will create more opportunities to build and, as a result, more jobs. Others, like Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, have issued dismal warnings about the imminent elimination of white-collar roles.
Do you work in tech? Let us know how you see the industry changing in the survey below:
