Layoffs decrease, but hiring still remains on hold in tech industry, says research
Despite a surge in interest in artificial intelligence, which demands specialized skills, tech companies are not currently increasing their hiring efforts following significant layoffs over the past year.
However, an analysis conducted by research firm Jefferies indicated that layoffs in the tech sector seemed to decelerate during June and July, and the trend is expected to continue with even fewer job cuts this month.
The analysis draws from both proprietary data and information sourced from the job marketplace TrueUp, reported Bloomberg.
Amid the economic downturn, the tech industry was among the first to experience significant and rapid workforce reductions. Companies were compelled to trim expenses and manage the surplus workforce that emerged during the pandemic-induced boom.
Up until now in the current year, the tech sector has witnessed a total of 342,671 layoffs, as reported by both Jefferies and TrueUp. This figure considerably surpasses the 243,075 layoffs recorded for the entire preceding year. A comparable pattern is evident in data from layoffs.fyi.
The data indicates that the quantity of available positions in the tech sector is relatively modest, reflecting trends observed in the wider economy that point to a slight decrease in demand for workers.
A recent government report stated that job vacancies in the US dropped in June to the lowest point since April 2021. Concurrently, layoffs have decreased to the lowest level since the close of the previous year, implying that employers are cautious about reducing their workforce.
“The shifting workforce dynamic will require lower-skilled workers who are being squeezed by AI to re-skill and up-skill for new job opportunities,” Jefferies analysts led by Brent Thill said in a note accompanying the analysis.
The complexities of the persistently robust job market have posed challenges for recruiting firms in estimating their annual earnings.
M. Keith Waddell, the CEO of the global staffing company Robert Half, remarked during a recent earnings call that clients have become "more cautious, more conservative, more tentative," making predictions a complex endeavor.
