The study also examined the relationship between tech layoffs and AI hiring, finding no significant correlation. Companies that had layoffs in 2023 posted 20% more AI-related job openings in the three months following the layoffs, but also had a 24% increase in overall job postings. The author concludes that while AI is changing the demand for certain types of engineers, it does not appear that companies are laying off non-AI engineers to hire more AI talent. The author suggests that engineers should consider integrating machine learning into their skillset to increase their marketability.
Key takeaways:
- The demand for AI research scientists and machine learning engineers has significantly increased, with job openings growing by 80% and 70% respectively. However, job openings for other types of engineers, such as mobile, frontend, and data engineers, have declined by more than 20%.
- Salaries for engineering roles have remained relatively flat, even for AI scientists and ML engineers. The data suggests that while there is a high demand for AI talent, there is not a lack of supply.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) has seen the largest growth in demand among machine learning skills, with a 155% increase in job mentions. However, traditional engineering skills such as Ruby on Rails have seen a decline in demand.
- There is no clear relationship between tech layoffs and increased hiring for AI talent. Companies that conducted layoffs in 2023 had an average of 20% more AI-related job postings in the three months following the layoffs, but they also had 24% more job postings overall.