New Data: Engineering Is the Most Resilient Job Function Despite AI — Engineers Were 55% of Big-Tech New Hires

TechCrunch·high signalXBlueskyLinkedInCopy link

A June 24 TechCrunch analysis counters the 'AI kills engineering jobs' narrative: engineering roles fell just ~11% in 2025 versus a 25% drop in total hiring across large tech firms, and engineers made up 55% of all new hires. The contraction is concentrated in non-engineering and entry-level/back-office roles, while ML infrastructure, model evaluation, AI safety, and applied research remain in acute shortage — even as GitLab (~14% cut) and ServiceNow trim headcount citing AI. The signal for builders: the bottleneck is shifting toward orchestration and AI-native skills, not raw engineering demand.