AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they're the most resilient | TechCrunch

AI is not killing software engineering jobs as previously feared. Although artificial intelligence is frequently cited as the primary justification behind recent high-profile tech layoffs, comprehensive hiring data from venture firm SignalFire indicates that engineering roles remain the single most resilient job function across the industry.

🔹 **Rising Share of New Hires**: Among 12 tech majors including Alphabet, Meta, and Apple, engineering roles accounted for 55% of all new hires in 2025. This marks a substantial and unexpected increase from 46% recorded in 2019, showing that tech giants are doubling down on technical talent.

🔹 **Strong Demand at Startups**: Early-stage startups brought on 7% more engineers in 2025 compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. This demonstrates that the need for builders and core technical talent has actually risen rather than fallen during the current generative AI boom.

🔹 **Smaller Overall Hiring Decline**: While total hiring across major tech corporations dropped by a staggering 25% compared to 2019, engineering positions saw a much smaller, milder decline of just 11%, significantly outperforming non-technical business functions.

🔹 **AI Productivity Catalyzes Growth**: Instead of direct labor substitution, the productivity gains offered by AI-powered coding assistants seem to encourage companies to hire more software engineers. Organizations are scaling their engineering workforces to pursue complex new initiatives.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/24/ai-was-supposed-to-kill-engineering-jobs-but-new-data-suggests-theyre-the-most-resilient