Tech jobs have dried up

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall market conditions

  • Many see a correction rather than a collapse: post-2020 “red carpet” boom is over, but not comparable to past busts like 2002.
  • Some argue tech jobs are “drying up,” especially for generic web work and juniors; others report steady inbound recruiter interest, with strong local variation (e.g., Europe vs US).
  • Several note that companies are trimming after over-hiring and cheap-money years, not eliminating software work altogether.

AI’s impact on hiring

  • Strong view that AI is shifting resources: AI/ML specialists are paid multiples of regular engineers, and budgets for other roles are squeezed.
  • Others argue AI mostly boosts individual productivity; work still exists but fewer additional headcount gets approved.
  • Skeptics say many AI-driven decisions are based on vibes, not measured productivity gains; tools haven’t truly “replaced” full developers yet.
  • Some see AI as a long-term job creator via automation of other sectors (factories, etc.), needing more devs and infra roles.

Early-career paths, degrees, and bootcamps

  • Consensus that the market is much harsher for juniors, bootcamp grads, self-taught devs, and non-technical “in tech” roles (marketing, HR, recruiting).
  • Multiple comments claim that, compared with mid-career CS grads, these groups now have little edge and struggle to even get interviews.
  • Counterexamples exist where bootcamp grads with strong portfolios or OSS work do fine, but they’re portrayed as the exception.

Interview process and competition

  • Several experienced engineers report months of applications, many final rounds, and rejections for minor stylistic reasons; surplus of candidates lets companies be extremely picky.
  • Perception that employers want “hit the ground running” hires; very few roles allow multi-month ramp-up.

Visas, policy, and RTO

  • Some see H1B and similar programs as flooding a saturated market and propose tying layoffs and visa hiring.
  • Others emphasize structural issues: employer-tied visas create vulnerable workers and distort labor markets; suggestions include EU-style profession-based visas.
  • One view links aggressive return-to-office policies to a strategy for increasing visa-heavy hiring.

Career sustainability

  • Burnout and disillusionment appear, especially among mid/late-career engineers seeing rising responsibilities, stagnant interest, and a punishing market.