Despite tech layoffs, demand for AI-savvy hires is increasing, report shows

So tech companies are laying people off left and right, but they're also screaming for AI-savvy hires. A new ICIMS report shows U.S. job openings up 9% year-over-year in May, while hiring limped along at just 1% growth. That's the sound of an economy that's learned to advertise positions beautifully but can't actually seal the deal — or perhaps it's just that the 'talent pool' the C-suite dreams of (someone who already knows their proprietary stack, has five years of experience in a two-year-old field, and will work for equity and kombucha) doesn't exist.

The report singles out computer programmers as a particular sore spot: job openings in that category surged 35%. But with hiring barely budging, it's clear companies want AI-savvy programmers who can hit the ground running — because heaven forbid they train anyone. Never mind that the same companies have been shedding workers, including programmers, in recent waves of 'restructuring.' The message is unambiguous: we want the perfect candidate, but we're not willing to invest in growing one. The talent pool isn't keeping up? No, the brain drain and lack of reskilling are self-inflicted wounds.

And so the farce continues. Workers laid off from one tech giant are told to go learn AI, only to find that the jobs they're qualified for now require AI expertise that no one helped them acquire. The 9% openings figure is a taunt, a sign of a system that's optimised for vacancy announcements, not actual employment. The ICIMS report is a snapshot of a labor market that can't coordinate its own supply and demand — which, if you're feeling generous, is a perfect metaphor for the industry that promised to optimise everything.