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New SignalFire Data: Engineering Is the Most AI-Resilient Job — Even as 56% of 2026 Layoffs Blame AI
TechCrunch (June 24) reported SignalFire data showing engineering roles fell only 11% versus 2019 levels while overall big-tech hiring dropped 25%, and engineers made up 55% of new hires in 2025 (up from 46% in 2019), with AI-engineer postings up 654% from H1 2024 to H2 2025. The paradox: 56% of 2026 layoff events — 185,894 workers across 267 events through June 24 — explicitly cite AI, even as Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon plan roughly $700B in 2026 AI infrastructure capex. The builder takeaway: AI-skilled engineers remain in high demand while customer-service and support postings fell 24–28% over 18 months.
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