Despite AI-related job loss fears, tech hiring holds steady – and here are the most in-demand skills

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Tech hiring for the following quarter is regular in comparison with a 12 months in the past.
• AI could also be driving a lot of the persevering with demand for tech expertise.
• These calls for could be driving an increase in contract work.

The standard knowledge is that synthetic intelligence is gutting our workforce, each technical and non-technical. Up to now, there’s little proof that the job apocalypse is going down. If something, the necessity for folks to construct AI programs and to maintain them sincere is protecting hiring for each full-time tech professionals and contract employees comparatively strong.

Two current surveys, from ManpowerGroup and UpWork, paint a comparatively constructive image for tech-related hiring for each jobs and gigs for the previous month and the upcoming quarter. Manpower’s Experis group says the IT hiring image slipped by a few share factors, however nothing dramatic. UpWork says it’s monitoring an increase in demand for contracted expertise in mission administration and localization, seemingly related to synthetic intelligence tasks. AI expertise in demand embrace Python, video enhancing, and graphic design.   

Near half of tech employers globally, 48%, plan to rent this quarter (This fall), based on a survey of 6,533 IT employers throughout 42 international locations by Experis. The US tech sector has one of many strongest hiring outlooks globally, with a majority of tech employers, 58%, planning to extend headcount throughout this quarter. Solely 11% indicated they plan to chop again.

Whereas US tech hiring cooled very barely in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months, it “stays one of many labor market’s brilliant spots,” based on the survey’s authors. US tech hiring stays comparatively regular, declining solely two share factors from 60% in This fall a 12 months in the past.

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AI work is driving the pattern — almost one in 4 employers (24%) say they’re hiring particularly to maintain tempo with digital developments resembling AI, the Experis survey exhibits. “The actual problem is the talents mismatch, and corporations know they should spend money on the proper expertise to remain aggressive,” based on an announcement from Kye Mitchell, president of Experis US. 

The problem stays discovering certified expertise to fill rising know-how wants, as reported by 41% of tech and IT employers. Bettering the candidate expertise (37%) and filling complicated roles (36%) observe shut behind.   

Notably, the research reveals a modest uptick in deliberate hiring in IT companies, rising from 49% to 52%, with software program hiring holding regular. There seemingly might be a droop in hiring throughout the semiconductor sector, from 45% to 34% planning to rent. 

 Plans for elevated hiring in This fall (in comparison with This fall plans one 12 months in the past)

For job seekers with in-demand digital expertise, this sustained hiring momentum creates important alternatives — notably in areas like AI implementation, cloud migration, and cybersecurity, the place employers are prioritizing long-term transformation.

In relation to gig, contract, or freelance work, Upwork’s newest hiring tendencies report finds companies are tapping contract expertise to supply oversight and high quality assurance as they transfer deeper into AI. UpWork experiences it drew information from the previous month, greater than 1,000,000 US job posts on Upwork’s market. The postings mirror “important demand throughout varieties of work that require validation, deep context, and artistic refinement to elevate AI outputs,” the report’s authors mentioned.

Of specific notice has been the red-hot demand for mission administration expertise seen amongst small to medium-sized companies. That is “a telltale signal of organizational adaptation beneath AI pressures,” mentioned Nicholas Bloom, a professor at Stanford College, pointing to the necessity for a “human infrastructure” to maintain AI in line.

The contract expertise which were in demand embrace the next:

• Translation & localization +29%
• Venture administration +17% total; and +102% amongst small to medium companies
• Gross sales & advertising copywriting +12%
• High quality assurance testing +9%
• Digital advertising +9%
• Video & animation +8%  

UpWork additionally documented the highest in-demand AI-related expertise over the previous month, which embrace Python, video enhancing, ChatGPT, AI-generated video, and digital help. Curiously, information entry companies — lengthy regarded as a vanishing want — have seen a resurgence in demand. “This demand for foundational human expertise exhibits that companies’ focus is shifting,” mentioned Teng Liu, economist for the Upwork Analysis Institute. 

High 10 Most In-Demand AI-Associated Expertise in September 2025:

1. Python
2. Video enhancing
3. Graphic design
4. ChatGPT
5. AI-generated video (new)
6. Machine studying
7. Digital help (new)
8. Content material writing (new)
9. Information entry (new)
10. Adobe Illustrator (new)