AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they’re the most resilient
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Tech layoffs in May reached their highest single-month total in years, with AI cited as the primary reason. However, research by SignalFire suggests that engineering jobs are the most resilient in the industry. Despite a 25% drop in total hiring across large tech companies, engineering roles saw only an 11% decline. In fact, engineers comprised 55% of new hires in 2025 across top tech companies, a significant jump from 2019. This trend is evident in both large tech companies and early-stage startups.
💡 Why It Matters
- · The resilience of engineering jobs in the face of AI adoption challenges the conventional wisdom that automation will replace human workers.
- · As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argues, AI is not replacing engineers, but rather making them busier and more productive, leading to increased demand for their skills.