Tech Sector Job Stability

The five largest US staffing firms just reported Q4 earnings. Every single one saw sequential improvement. Every single one is still declining year over year. And all five management teams landed on the same forecast: positive YoY revenue growth in the back half of 2026. Meanwhile, some of the largest employers in tech are cutting headcount - not because of a downturn, but because they believe AI makes certain roles permanently unnecessary. These two things can't both be right. I read all five Q4 transcripts. The green shoots are real. Robert Half posted its first positive sequential revenue growth in over three years; their stock jumped 28%. ASGN's commercial consulting bookings hit a record $444 million. A ZipRecruiter survey found 63% of hiring managers expect to expand payrolls in 2026. But Indeed's Chief Economist described the labor market as "a frozen landscape." The December JOLTS report showed openings at 6.5 million, the lowest since September 2020. The ratio of openings to unemployed workers fell below 1.0 for the first time since mid-2017. Permanent hiring remains at historically low levels. Kforce's temp-to-perm conversions actually declined. Companies want the talent. They don't want the commitment. Gem's benchmarks tell the same story from the in-house side. Hires per recruiter have dropped 43%. Recruiting teams are 14% smaller, yet applications per recruiter have nearly doubled and interviews per hire are up by a third. Aggregate hiring is up 8.3% YoY for the first time in two years, but volumes are still roughly 30% below 2021 levels. Smaller teams. More volume. More selectivity. Fewer hires. The staffing industry is planning for a cyclical recovery. Their biggest clients might be planning for a structural one - where headcount doesn't come back the same way, because the work itself is changing. If you're a recruiting leader building your 2026 plan around "the back half rebound," pressure-test that assumption hard. The recovery might come with permanently smaller teams expected to handle permanently higher volumes. The window to fix conversion rates, tighten your pipeline, and build infrastructure for that reality is right now - not Q3 when you're already behind.

I see the Hiring Market rebound. The job market loves to keep us on our toes. But here's the thing I've learned: there are always signs of recovery if you know where to look. Company Signals: - VCs are starting to loosen those purse strings (again!): More funding for startups usually means more hiring as they expand and grow. Accel India just closed a new $650 million fund focused on early-stage Indian startups. Indian SaaS startups raised a record $5 billion in funding. - Earnings reports are looking decent (for some): Companies with strong financials are more likely to hire as they have the resources to invest in talent. - Job descriptions are getting less demanding (thank goodness!): When companies are eager to hire, they often become less picky about finding the "perfect" candidate. I'm seeing more "willing to train" and "entry-level" positions in data science and AI. Companies are increasingly emphasizing skills over specific degrees or certifications. Economic Signals: - People seem less gloomy (cautiously optimistic!): When consumers feel confident, businesses are more likely to invest and hire. India's GDP growth is projected to be around 6.5% in 2025. Domestic consumption and private investment are showing positive trends. - Jobless claims are ticking down (fingers crossed!): A decline in unemployment claims usually means more people are finding jobs. CMIE data shows that India's unemployment rates are falling. - Temp agencies are getting busy (a good sign!): Increased temp hiring can indicate that companies are testing the waters before committing to permanent hires. The HR Factor: - HR folks are on the move: Companies often expand their HR departments to handle increased hiring needs. There's been a surge in demand for HR professionals with expertise in talent analytics and employer branding. Several Indian companies are hiring Chief People Officers to lead their HR transformation initiatives. - HR is getting more strategic: HR is becoming more involved in talent acquisition and employee experience, which are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. Indian companies are increasingly prioritizing diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices. Upskilling and reskilling programs are gaining momentum as companies prepare for the future of work. Don't just sit back and wait – get ready! By recognizing these signs, you can position yourself for success in a recovering job market. #hiring #jobmarket #recruiting #hiringtrends #HR #India

🔎 Tech Job Market Update – September 2025 The technology job market is shifting, and I’m seeing some clear patterns across Business Analysis, Programme Management, and Project Management roles: ✅ High demand remains for professionals who can bridge the gap between business and technology especially those with strong stakeholder management and digital transformation experience. ⚖️ Contracting vs Permanent: We’re seeing a steady rise in contract opportunities as companies remain cautious with headcount but still push forward with transformation projects. 🛠️ Skills in demand right now: Business Analysts with data-driven backgrounds Project Managers experienced in Agile delivery Programme Managers who can oversee large-scale transformation and manage change effectively 💡 My top tips for candidates: Keep your CV project-focused highlight outcomes, not just responsibilities. Be clear on your niche generalists struggle in a crowded market; specialists stand out. Stay visible on LinkedIn engaging with your network often leads to opportunities you won’t see on job boards. For clients, the biggest challenge I see is securing top talent quickly. The best candidates are often snapped up within days, so speed and clear decision making are key in today’s market. I’d love to hear from both contractors and hiring managers what trends are you noticing right now? #TechJobs #BusinessAnalysis #ProgrammeManagement #ProjectManagement #Recruitment

The 2025 product job market is showing robust signs of recovery and transformation, according to https://lnkd.in/eSKysXXe. • 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗽: There are now over 6,000 open product manager roles globally, up 53% from the 2023 low and 11% since the beginning of this year. Engineering roles have also been at their highest level since late 2022, indicating a strong demand for product and technical talent. • 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: AI Product Manager (AI PM) roles and other AI-related positions are experiencing rapid growth. Currently, there are 688 open AI PM roles, and nearly a third of all open AI jobs globally are still based in the Bay Area. This surge reflects an industry-wide shift toward AI-driven products and services. • 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴: After several years of turbulence, layoffs are decreasing, providing more stability for job seekers and employees. However, the risk of further cuts remains, especially as companies continue to adapt to new technologies. • 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴: Investment in infrastructure, such as GPUs and data centres, has risen by 29% compared to last year and by 227% compared to five years ago. This suggests that companies are preparing for continued growth and innovation. • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲: The Bay Area continues to dominate as the premier location for PM, engineering, and AI roles. However, 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 and Austin have broken into the top 10, highlighting the growing opportunities in other global tech hubs. • 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: The share of remote roles is decreasing and seems to be establishing a new, lower baseline. On-site and hybrid roles are increasingly prevalent, particularly in product and sales functions. What This Means for Talent and Hiring • 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁: The rapid growth of AI PM and engineering roles means that experience with AI products, machine learning, and related technologies is becoming increasingly essential for product leaders and teams. • 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱: There is a continued shift toward hiring more senior product candidates, with senior and lead roles growing faster than entry-level positions. • 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: While the Bay Area leads, European cities such as Berlin are gaining prominence for product roles, reflecting a more distributed landscape for tech talent. (𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦: 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩, 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘧𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘳)

Spent some time going deeper into LinkedIn hiring data across North America, and a few things stood out pretty clearly. Right now, there are roughly 1.08M open tech roles across the US and Canada combined. Canada alone sits at around 82K open roles, while the US is just over 1M. That gap is expected, but the more interesting part is not the size. It is the shape of the market. In Canada, the strongest demand is still around: -Data -Infrastructure and Cloud -AI and ML And here’s the part most people miss. Almost 38K of those Canadian roles were posted in the last 2 weeks. That is close to 46% of the market being fresh, which tells a very different story than the usual “tech slowdown” narrative. So while layoffs are happening in parts of the ecosystem, hiring has not stopped. It has just become more selective. Another interesting layer is leadership hiring. Only about 2 to 2.5% of roles are leadership positions. That is a small slice, but it tells you where companies are being the most careful. From where I sit, this lines up exactly with what I am seeing in conversations: Less volume More precision Higher bar Companies are still hiring. They are just being far more intentional about who they bring in. And that is shaping a very different kind of tech market in 2026. #CanadianTech #TechHiring #AI #Data #Cloud #TorontoTech #Leadership

What’s Really Happening in the Tech Job Market — And What to Expect in Q4 2025 & Q1 2026 As we head into the final stretch of 2025, the tech job market is showing a mix of stabilization, selective expansion, and continued recalibration. After two years of volatility, we’re finally seeing clearer signals about where hiring is headed — and what candidates and companies should expect in the months ahead. Over the last two quarters, companies have shifted from broad hiring freezes to targeted, high-impact recruiting. AI-driven roles continue to dominate demand — not just for researchers and engineers, but for applied AI talent, product builders, data/ML specialists, and operators who can turn AI capabilities into revenue. At the same time, sales, customer success, and GTM roles have started to rebound as companies push harder toward monetization and efficiency. In Q4 2025, expect hiring to remain purposeful rather than expansive. Companies are prioritizing candidates who can deliver measurable outcomes quickly. “Lean but strong” teams are the norm, and employers are moving faster on top-tier profiles while still maintaining a high bar. Looking ahead to Q1 2026, hiring momentum is likely to accelerate. Many organizations that postponed headcount in 2025 are planning to open roles tied to growth initiatives, new product launches, and AI integration efforts. We’re already seeing early signs: more inbound searches, increased recruiter activity, and companies refreshing their talent pipelines ahead of the new fiscal year. For candidates, the advantage goes to those who can clearly articulate impact, adaptability, and experience with AI-related workflows — regardless of role. For companies, competition for top talent will tighten again, especially in AI, infra, security, and senior-level product and engineering leadership. The market is no longer chaotic — it’s becoming strategic. And those who prepare now will be the ones who win early next year.

We may be at the start of a new cycle in tech hiring. With the Fed cutting rates, capital is getting cheaper — and historically, that fuels renewed investment in innovation. Tech and data/AI teams are often among the first to benefit. Expect a gradual pickup: companies that slowed or froze headcount during higher rates may restart hiring, especially in areas tied to efficiency, automation, and revenue growth. Infrastructure, MLOps, and applied AI teams are likely to see the earliest movement. It won’t happen overnight, but this macro shift sets the stage for stronger demand for technical talent in the coming months. https://lnkd.in/e-uqv9v4